Redeemed One Trilogy: The Stirring
by Elluviel
Summary: Ever since the attack of Smaug, Gilrael has begun to get dark visions of the enemy's plans, an invitation to join the black force emerging ever so slightly. Meanwhile, Tauriel follows a set of clues, hoping that they will lead her to the mysterious ellon depicted in her necklace. Will the two elleths learn to accept the help of their prince in order to fulfill their goals?
1. Prologue

_**Acknowledgements: Contains quotes from both the book and movie versions. The Elvish is from the movies, grey-company (.org) and arwen-undomiel (.org).**_

 _ **Rated T because tis better to be extra careful than slightly underrated.**_

* * *

 **Greetings, most benevolent reader!**

 **This is Book 2 in _The Redeemed One_ series, with my added characters, the main one being Gilrael. If you haven't already, I would suggest you take a look at Book 1, _The Elven Huntress,_ so you will understand things clearly. :)**

 **The energy that drives me on to write are reviews, especially constructive feedback. My goal is to, one day, write with no mistakes or confusing passages, and you will help me on that path with well-meant criticism. Please don't hesitate! Everything is welcomed and appreciated.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Elluviel**

* * *

Fire covered the mountain. Dwarves ran away from the wrath of Smaug the dragon, wailing and screaming. The prince, Thorin son of Thor, led the way, urging his people to leave.

"Run for your lives! Go!"

Glancing up as his legs burned from exhaustion, he caught sight of the Woodland King, astride his elk in front of an army of elves. Thorin's heart leapt, and he waved his arms wildly.

"Help us! Help!" Several dwarves around him took up the cry, but the elven king turned his head. However, an elf next to him stopped the king from leaving, and conversed. Thorin's heart pounded. Would they abandon the dwarves in their time of need?

* * *

"You did _not_ just go all this way only to leave without helping."

Thranduil took a deep breath, but said nothing.

"What were you thinking when you summoned the army? To go for a little excursion?"

"I cannot help them, Gilrael. I came to see if it was possible to defeat that dragon and at least give them back their mountain, but I see it would be folly." She stared at him in disbelief as he firmly declared, "I will not attack that dragon and risk the lives of my people. _Our_ people."

"I do not suggest you attack the dragon. I suggest you give the dwarves some provisions, and by suggest, I mean urge, and by urge, I mean _do it_!"

Thranduil glared at her. "They will not accept mere _provisions_. What they want from us is to kill the dragon so they can regain their wealth and power. And I have no intention to offer goods only to have them reject us."

He snorted. "Can you imagine? A dwarf, accepting help from an elf?"

Gilrael glared at him. "Perhaps it is so difficult to imagine because _you_ have made it that way."

The king narrowed his eyes. "Do not forget that their king refused to return to me the jewels of Lasgalen. _My_ jewels. His greed was his downfall."

Gilrael threw up her hands as even her horse snorted. "Thranduil! Do you hear yourself? Are those jewels worth so much to you that you would give up your values?"

"Gilrael!" the king snapped. "If I let those gems go, the dignity of the elves will be mocked. They are the heirlooms of our people, and I will not let some dwarf sit on it!"

"No dwarf is sitting on it now."

"Gilrael! Why do you have to be so, so… difficult? Argumentative? And for dwarves! I thought you have an intense hatred for dwarves, more than most elves."

Gilrael leveled her gaze. "Still, I must do the right thing. Does not your conscience speak to you? If they die, will you be guiltless?"

Thranduil moved his elk forward. "Dwarves are stubborn. They will survive. Now, if I were the dragon, I would have done it differently. Keep the dwarves captive, as workers to mine the gold."

Gilrael watched him leave with disbelief. "Thranduil!"

"You will be quiet now, young lady! Do you know what I would do if I were your father? Hmm?"

Gilrael sniffed. "Yes! He'd be less selfish!"

The king leaned to tell an elf something, and continued on. The elf turned around, and Gilrael saw he was Firlowen. The messenger.

"Thranduil told me to take your part of the army and give the dwarves provisions and weapons."

Gilrael smiled. "Finally!"

Firlowen nodded. "I heard your, um, argument, and I agree with you. Fortunately, the king is not _that_ thick-headed, and he changed his mind quickly. Though somewhat…oddly."

Gilrael sighed. "I hope the dwarves do accept our help. They won't take the weapons, but maybe they'll take food and blankets. What do you think?"

Firlowen shrugged. "There's only one way to find out. I'd better go back to the palace and speak with Legolas. He's probably torn half the palace apart."

Gilrael smiled. "That upset he couldn't come, hmm? Maybe he'll be calmer if he finds out we did no fighting."

Firlowen nodded as he turned his horse. "Maybe."

* * *

Thorin moved through the swarming mix of dwarves and elves amidst cries of thanksgiving and good cheer. He had to thank the one who had given the orders to help them, and he had a good idea of who it was, though he was very bewildered _why_ she would do such a thing.

There, at the edge of the crowd, stood a lone figure, cloaked and hooded, quietly observing the scene. The king's lieutenant.

Thorin approached her, and cleared his throat. "I do not know how to thank you for your kindness. You have given my people some hope."

The elf didn't respond, exactly. As she gazed at the surrounding mountains, she murmured, "A once mighty people brought low, the dwarves of Erebor will wander the wilderness, robbed of their homeland."

The lieutenant glanced down at him. "Where will you go, Thorin son of Thrain?"

The prince grunted. "I will take work where I can find it. In villages of men."

He felt very disturbed having such a conversation with an elf, but she didn't look uncomfortable.

"Gondor? They have quite a selection of blacksmith shops there."

The conversation was getting even more ridiculous, but Thorin couldn't afford to be rude.

"Perhaps. But it is a far distance from here."

Now the elf peered at him with piercing dark eyes. "I would strongly advise against going west, to Bree and such."

Thorin frowned. "Why?"

The lieutenant laid a hand on the hilt of her sword. "The Misty Mountains are not getting safer as the days go on. I sense a dark threat spreading ever faster…"

Thorin held in a sigh. There she went, talking about senses and feelings. Why were elves so…lofty? Why couldn't they depend on solid facts and physical observances?

"Thank you for the concern." Apparently, he was unconvincing.

The elf glanced at him. "If you _do_ end up going west anyway, please take this letter and show it to anyone who gives you trouble."

She held it out, and Thorin took it slowly. Inside was a neatly written passage in a language he could not read, a language that was definitely not any form of elvish.

"Black Speech?"

The elf shrugged. "No orc would dare cross your path if you have that."

Thorin frowned. "Why are you helping me? Why have you helped my people? This was not the king's doing."

The lieutenant sighed wearily. "No, it was not _quite_ the king."

She looked at him carefully. "Thorin, I know what it feels like to be forced out of your home, from everything you have been familiar with. I know what dragon fire feels like. And though I hate dwarves, I do not hate them enough to allow them to suffer when I can warn them."

The elf squared him off, and firmly declared, "All that is gold does not glitter. Not all who wander are lost. Seek not materiel wealth, but friendships and alliances that will last. Beware, Thorin son of Thrain, of gold. It will be your downfall. I hope I never see you again."

She suddenly mounted her horse and yelled an order to her troops as Thorin stared in confusion.

 _Oh, here's a word of advice, some life-saving help, and don't forget that I hate you and never want to see you again!_

He was afraid he would never understand elves.


	2. Chapter 1: The Departure

"Ravens?!"

"Yes, Gilrael. Let's see, a few are flying toward the Lonely Mountain."

Legolas leaned back from the railing in the tower. "Why couldn't _you_ do that?"

Gilrael flipped wildly through her book. "After all my time in the darkness of my imprisonment, I don't have very good eyesight for an elf. And you are gifted with exceptional far sight. Ah!"

Legolas peered over her shoulder, and read, " ' _When the ravens return, the dragon will burn_.' How is a dragon going to burn?"

Gilrael jumped up from the bench and slammed the book closed. "I don't know."

Legolas raised an eyebrow. "All this studying, and you don't know."

Gilrael glared at him, hugging the book to her chest. "What I mean is, I do not want to make assumptions."

She rushed down the stairwell, Legolas on her heels. "Explain yourself!"

Gilrael refused, but tore through the halls of the woodland realm, and burst into her room. She tossed clothes and books and weapons all over, clearly packing.

Legolas ducked as a sword flew by him and landed on the bed.

"Gilrael, you really must elucidate. Where are you going?"

The elleth slung her bag over her shoulders, cleverly crafted to allow for easy maneuverability and much storage.

"I'm finding Mithrandir."

"Mithrandir."

She nodded. "I need to speak with him."

Legolas crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "You are bringing all that stuff just to speak with Mithrandir who, by the way, just left here a week ago?"

Gilrael glared at him. "The ravens weren't _there_ a week ago. Many things can happen in a week, _Legolas_."

The prince raised an eyebrow. "I really don't see the need for urgency."

Gilrael threw up her hands in exasperation. "Maybe if you spent more time _studying_ instead of – "

"Archer-ing?"

She glared at him.

Legolas smiled. "So, where are you going?" he asked innocently.

Gilrael made a sound like a growl. "Mithrandir, Imladris, Bree, Shire, home. Satisfied?"

The Sinda patted her shoulder. "Yes. Those are safe places, unlike last time. Will I get to come?"

But he already knew the answer.

"No."

Legolas sighed. Gilrael was a lone traveler, and she hated going in groups. Two or three was her maximum number of companions, and Legolas suspected she didn't like _his_ company because he was annoying. Or so he thought.

"Now, can you be helpful for once and make sure my horse is ready? I need to tell Tauriel."

Legolas followed her out the door. "Yes, your _highness_. But good luck convincing Ada."

She shrugged. "It'll be fine. I'm not going anywhere dangerous."

They parted ways, and Legolas muttered, "So you say." She was like a magnet for danger.

* * *

Tauriel twirled her daggers. "Mithrandir, you say? Where exactly is Mithrandir?"

"Beor's house. Very close. He told me he would spend a week there, so he should be leaving at least tomorrow."

Tauriel frowned. "You cannot get there in a night."

Gilrael smiled. "Oh yes I can. Rohiel is a fast, young horse."

The younger elleth sighed. "Well, then I suppose this is farewell. How long will you be gone?"

"Not more than a month, in all probability."

Tauriel raised an eyebrow. "So if you take longer than a month, we will be allowed to look for you?"

Gilrael glared at her. "No! If it takes longer than a year, then look for me."

Tauriel looked horrified. "It'll be too late by then!"

"My point exactly. Even if you leave immediately after a month, it will be too late to save me in any predicament I am in. Do not worry, Tauriel. I will take good care of myself."

The elleths hugged, and Tauriel promised, "I'll stay safe. Now go to the king. You do not have much time if you want to catch Mithrandir."

* * *

Thranduil leaned back in his throne. "Imladris, you say?"

Gilrael nodded. "There are some important books I need there, and I need to speak with Lord Elrond."

She had told him she would be going to Imladris, which was true, but she didn't say anything about the other places. It was best to give the name of a safe one.

The king sighed. "I don't suppose I could stop you if I wanted to."

Gilrael smiled. "Do not worry, my lord. I will be fine."

As she left, Thranduil muttered, "Yes, but it is a question if Legolas will be fine."

* * *

Gilrael stroked the mane of her horse while Legolas stood nearby. "Just a month?"

The elleth shrugged. "A few months, at most. That's not the longest I have been away."

The prince murmured, "Years. You have been away for years."

Gilrael smiled. "Now I must say farewell. Fare-" But she was crushed in a hug as Legolas kissed her head. A very typical good-bye.

"Farewell, Gilrael. I will miss you."

She breathed in his scent of fresh pines and cinnamon for the last time, a part of her wishing she could stay in his warm, protective embrace forever.

But she drew away, and allowed him to help her mount Rohiel.

"Please keep an eye on Tauriel, Legolas. She grows skittish, like a wild animal holed up for too long. You know the letter she received all those centuries ago. The times draws very near for the prophecy to be fulfilled."

Legolas murmured the first few words of that letter: _"When Esgaroth's prophecy is fulfilled, find the hidden notes leading from the forsaken cave to Gundabad's outlook._ Do you really think she will go when the King under the Mountain returns?"

Gilrael looked ahead grimly. "I have no reason why not. The prophecy now makes more sense, with the dragon being Smaug, and the King being Thorin Oakenshield. How he will get here and defeat the dragon, I do not know. But make no mistake, the minute that dwarf is in the vicinity of these lands, Tauriel will be gone."

Legolas nodded. "I will watch her."

"And you will go with her?"

The Sinda shrugged. "Possibly. You know how stubborn she is. And besides, both of us haven't left the Woodland Realm in decades. No wonder she wants to leave."

Gilrael glanced down at him. "Well, I must be off. Say good-bye to Falluen and Firlowen for me. Be careful, Legolas. The days grow more dangerous by the minute."

The prince lifted a hand in farewell as the elleth galloped out of the stables and into the woods. He noticed she wore her royal elven garments, not the ones that she usually wore to disguise herself as a Ranger. That must mean she wished for people to know that she was Gilrael, the king's lieutenant, top general of Mirkwood, as Eryn Lasgalen was then called.

Legolas sighed. He would miss her company, but fortunately this excursion would only be a month. Or so she said.

* * *

Mirkwood was dangerous, with an increasing number of giant spiders each day, and a growing darkness spreading over it. Rohiel was not thrilled to be galloping precariously through the densely tangled woods, but she knew her mistress was a skilled rider who would lead them both safely, and that at the end of the journey, her mistress would reward her greatly.

Gilrael spent so much energy focusing on avoiding spider webs and thick tree roots that by the time they galloped through the safe plains west of Mirkwood, her head throbbed.

Dawn was breaking when exhausted horse and excited elf arrived at the cozy, welcoming home of Beor.

The owner was nowhere to be seen, but the Grey Wizard was leading his horse out, staff in hand and pointy hat on head.

He did a double take when the elleth slipped off her horse and ran toward him, calling out cheerfully, "Mithrandir! Mithrandir! Mae govannen!"

The wizard stopped his horse and smiled, his eyes twinkling in pleasant surprise at the sight of the young elf.

"Why, Gilrael! I did not expect to see you again so soon! What brings you here?"

The elleth grew serious. "I need to speak to you of matters of great importance, but not here. Not with so many eyes and ears." A guilty looking bee buzzed past quickly.

Mithrandir shifted his weight back. "So where do you propose?"

"Imladris," Gilrael answered without hesitation. "I have business there anyways, and though things are now stirring for the worse, Imladris remains a safe place."

The wizard raised an eyebrow. Gilrael had never told him, or any other Elven lord, of her imprisonment thus far, but she knew he suspected something of the sort. How else would she know the ways of the enemy so well?

"Actually, I find that quite agreeable. I have an errand in Bree, and travelling with you will provide me free protection from orcs."

Gilrael glared at him as he chuckled. "You wouldn't abandon an old man in a time of trouble now, would you? Skilled young warrior like yourself?"

The elleth smiled, and turned her horse. "I cannot ride, because Rohiel is very tired, but perhaps we can find a place to rest her for a few hours."

Mithrandir frowned. "I am surprised she's already tired. It's not a long distance from the palace to here."

"Ah, but I pushed her hard, since we left just yesterday evening."

The wizard was left gaping as Gilrael glided forward, grinning.

"Elves and their horses," Mithrandir muttered as he led his horse.

* * *

It was the first time the Grey Pilgrim had traveled with Gilrael, and it hadn't been an hour when he was already impressed.

She had found a secluded cave under a cliff and had a rabbit roasting over crackling flames faster than he could say _By Manwe!_

Mithrandir settled against soft blankets, fingering his pipe but not daring to smoke for fear of igniting Gilrael's anger. Especially since she had been so good to him.

But by Eru did she travel in comfort and style. All the blankets were the same color as her cloak, a dark, velvet blue, hemmed with sapphires. Her hair was tied back with a shining crystal, matching the one pinned to her cloak.

"Do you always travel this fashionably?"

The elleth gave him an annoyed look. "No."

Mithrandir raised an eyebrow. "So all this is just for me?"

"No."

"Won't people recognize you as the king's lieutenant?"

"No."

Mithrandir gave an irritated huff. He stopped asking yes or no questions.

"And why not?"

Gilrael sighed dramatically. "People in these parts, and the west, are not well-educated about things east of the Misty Mountains. They would assume I was from Imladris."

She turned the rabbit, and sprinkled something on it from a pocket.

"You bring _seasoning_ with you?"

"Yes."

"Can I smoke?"

"No."

"It blends in with the smoke from the rabbit."

"The smoke from the rabbit is a healthy aroma. The smoke from your pipe is a noxious fume."

Mithrandir sighed. She gave the exact same answer Legolas had given the last time the prince had traveled with him.

Gilrael handed a slice of the rabbit to him. "I trust you have a drink?"

Mithrandir glanced at his flask of water, filled from Beor's well. "I have water."

The elleth promptly handed him another flask. "Drink this. A treat. I insist."

Mithrandir still refused, saying, "I was sent to Middle Earth as an old man to struggle with weakness like a man, not to be pampered like an elf."

But Gilrael shrugged, and faster than he could see, switched the flasks. She flounced away with his, calling back, "Besides, I have another one!"

Mithrandir glared at her. Yes, he very much appreciated her help, but he did not want to be totally dependent on her.

The wizard took a sip from her ermine-furred flask, and found a delicious fruit juice inside. Half-way between wine and juice. Delicious.

"Hannon le, Gilrael!" he shouted as the elleth disappeared behind the rocks. Then he frowned.

"Where are you going?"

But suddenly, an icy hand pressed onto his mouth from behind, muffling Mithrandir's surprised yell. Within seconds, he passed out from that poisonous touch.


	3. Chapter 2: Trade-offs

Tauriel paced the bridge connecting the dark forests of Mirkwood to the palace gates in a state of considerable anxiety while Legolas stood nearby with his arms crossed.

"What's the point of being the Captain of the Guard, Legolas, when there's nothing to guard? Why stand here like idiots when we can be out there helping people, like Gilrael does?"

The Sinda raised an eyebrow. "You mean, risk your life every moment of the day like Gilrael does?"

Tauriel threw her hands up in exasperation. "But at least she's helping! Did you hear the latest reports from Gondor? They _love_ her! I want that!"

"You want to love her?"

The elleth glared at him. "Don't give me that look!"

"What look?" Legolas asked innocently.

"The one where you raise an eyebrow and stare at me unconvinced!"

The prince sighed, and relaxed his gaze as Tauriel passionately declared, "I want to _go_ places, Legolas! I want to travel around Middle Earth, helping people as I go. I don't want to just stand here all day guarding against nothing -okay, maybe a spider or two- while so many are in need of my help!"

"Why do you think those people are in need of help, Tauriel?"

"Because their lands get attacked by enemy forces!"

"Exactly!" Legolas triumphantly declared. "And they do not have diligent guards to protect them. Do you think the Woodland Realm will be left unattacked while the rest of Middle Earth suffers?"

Tauriel stared at him. "But-"

"Of course not! You are needed, Tauriel. Needed against a sudden attack, and future ones. They will come, and we must be prepared. Would you risk the lives of the people to…travel?"

Tauriel narrowed her eyes. "You have seen distant lands, Legolas, and I have not. How can you understand what I feel? I have walked the earth for hundreds of years, yet I have never been to Imladris or Lorien. Please, Legolas, ask your father. He will not listen to me, but he might listen to you."

He shook his head, though his eyes were sorrowful.

"I cannot, Tauriel. I'm sorry. It is more dangerous out there than you realize, especially alone."

"Then I'll go with you!"

"Tauriel! You, Gilrael, _and_ I can't leave! You must have a sense of responsibility!"

The elleth looked hurt at his violent voice. "So why can Gilrael go so often and we never do?"

Legolas softened ever so slightly. "Gilrael has responsibilities elsewhere, Tauriel. Ours are here. We must learn to live with it."

Tauriel nodded numbly. "I-I'm going to my room."

She ran inside, ignoring the guards who watched her curiously and Legolas whose gaze burned her back. She _wanted_ to listen to him, to obey him, and live with her life, but she just…couldn't.

It wasn't about the letter, though that was a big part of it. It was the feeling that something was out there, something very important that she was missing, right in front of her nose, if only she could leave the palace and follow her instincts.

Tauriel began to make a plan. Gilrael had hinted that the beginning of the prophecy was about to unfold. The King under the Mountain was soon to return. And the minute he did, she would know, and she would leave. Oh yes, there were ways to leave that palace unseen.

* * *

Mithrandir arose from unconsciousness with a pounding headache and freezing blood trickling through his veins. His hands were tied behind him, and he was laid on his side, right on a sharp rock. But in his cold state, he could not move to a better position.

Ahead of him was a tall, very tall person cloaked and hooded in black, with silver, pointed boots. It was talking, a whispering chatter that sent chills down Mithrandir's spine. He was a Nazgul.

 _Why isn't he going anywhere? Moving me?_ Mithrandir thought. Then he realized its horse, the only way the Nazgul could interact with the physical world, was nowhere to be seen.

 _Where is Gilrael?_ the wizard then thought frantically. All kinds of thoughts raced through his head, none of them good. He shifted, but the Ringwraith turned. The area where the face was supposed to be was covered in black shadows.

It leaned forward and grabbed Mithrandir's shoulders, forcing him to stand.

" _Where is my horse?_ " it demanded.

The wizard shook from the pain shocking him through his arms, and the fear. "I-I don't know. I swear!"

The Ringwraith gnashed his teeth. " _Where is the elf? Don't lie!_ "

Mithrandir shivered as the force around him tightened. "I h-have no idea!"

Suddenly, a clear voice rang through the air, and the stamp of hooves. Mithrandir was dropped onto the ground, and he groaned.

The Nazgul whirled around, facing Gilrael, who held the reins of his black horse. Mithrandir watched with a dizzy head as the two argued in Black Speech, a language that did not help the wizard's presence of evil in his mind.

It seemed they were bargaining: Nazgul's horse for Mithrandir. But he was most surprised that the Ringwraith did not attack Gilrael, and seemed to stand quite a distance from her.

After some time, Gilrael finally yelled, "I'll give you the horse and five gold coins for the wizard. That's the lowest I'll go!"

The Nazgul huffed, but nodded. The elf made the transaction, and to Mithrandir's horror, she lifted him onto her horse like baggage.

Then she turned to the Nazgul and commanded, "Your next task is to go back to Minas Morgul and report to Sauron. No raiding, killing, or stopping of any kind on the way. Now go!"

Mithrandir watched in utter surprise at the Ringwraith dipped his head and rode away.

Gilrael helped him down, all the while apologizing profusely.

"I am so sorry, Mithrandir. I sensed him coming, and I had to decide between fighting him and taking his horse, his only way of connecting with the physical world in order to travel. Of course I took the horse."

The wizard huffed as she rested him against the rocks. "Why? Isn't he afraid of you?"

Gilrael stared at him in shock. "Of course not! _I_ am afraid of _him_!"

Mithrandir gladly accepted the blanket she handed him, since he was still shivering.

"You are? You certainly didn't look it."

The elleth crossed her arms. "If a warrior looks afraid when facing an enemy, that will be one extra disadvantage for her."

Mithrandir frowned. "Then why did you order him so freely, and why did he listen?"

Gilrael suddenly turned her back, and after some time, whispered, "He fears one who…thinks very highly of me."

But no matter how much the wizard pried, she refused to say another word, besides, "You will find traveling with me very easy, Mithrandir."

Her words were true. They traveled through the plains, toward the Misty Mountains, with little to no difficulty. All the while, Mithrandir observed her carefully.

The way she neatly packed her bags, her kindness, her willingness to serve, her diligence: all of it would be useful if she traveled…in a group. Yes, with others. Her skills could not be done without.

In a few days they arrived at the base of the Misty Mountains. It took that long, at least to Gilrael, because, as she complained, his horse was slow.

"Well, if your speedy horse gallops up this mountain, you'll get killed."

Gilrael crossed her arms. "Is that a dare?"

Mithrandir blinked. "A what?"

"A dare. Elladan and Elrohir – yes, I know – told me that if you refuse a dare, you're as weak as a woman. But dare or not, it is easier than you think to cross these mountains. There are hidden paths, dark, yes, but easy. We will take those."

"And how do you know about them?"

Gilrael stared ahead. "I…pass these mountains frequently. I found them. Come, Mithrandir. We should make it to the entrance into the mountains by sunset."

The wizard groaned. If they were supposed to make it up by sunset, that would mean they were really, _actually_ , going to gallop up. And he wasn't sure his old bones would like it.

"Don't worry, Mithrandir! Your horse can handle it."

"I was not worried about my horse," he mumbled. But he readied the reins with reluctant resignation, and the horses took off on, as Gilrael had promised, a nearly invisible but easy path up.

Not including the jolts, the trip up was actually quite enjoyable, since Mithrandir could allow Gilrael to do all the navigating and horse guiding and he could sit back and enjoy the view.

It was just after sunset when they passed through the clouds and, after Gilrael slid a rock to the side, entered into the mountain.

Then Mithrandir was struck with a sense of foreboding, of fear and suffocating darkness that clenched around his heart. And he could not see the elleth in front of him, though his staff was alight with a blue flame.

"G-Gilrael?"

"No need to whisper!" she called out cheerfully. "And, by the way, my name is Gilith."

Gilith was Gilrael's Ranger name, the one she used when she wished for her true identity to stay hidden. Apparently, those tunnels were not very safe.

"C-can you go a little slower?"

"I am right in front of you, Mithrandir! Any slower and I go backwards."

"When are we going to rest for the night?"

Gilrael glanced behind at him, and the wizard jolted to realize her dark eyes were glowing silver.

"There is no rest in these tunnels, Mithrandir. Try to sleep on your horse, but we will not stop. Do not be discouraged, though. I think you would find it hard to sleep in here anyways."

Oh, that was encouraging. And there was no way he was going to sleep on the horse, and risk falling off. But Mithrandir had endured many sleepless nights, and he readied himself for yet another one.

After a few hours, the wizard started to hear scuffling sounds. Squeaking, and scratching.

"Gilith?"

She didn't respond, but he heard her unloose an arrow and string it onto her bow. The noises grew louder, and all at once, creatures dropped from the ceiling, swarming the tunnel, and one grabbed Mithrandir's throat. The sounds were deafening, so much chattering, and the wizard found himself slowly dropping off, the slimy hands tightening.

Then something whirred, his throat was freed, and Gilrael shouted something in Black Speech, a yell so loud with so much ferocity and power that it rippled down the tunnels, causing the creatures to gasp in surprise and freeze.

Even Mithrandir was frozen. He did not know her past, but he knew then more than ever that it was not a good one. For in the sight of Gilrael standing beneath him, her silver eyes flashing menacingly in the darkness, the slicing echoes of her fierce voice still resounding, Mithrandir thought only one thing: she was made to be evil.

 **A/N: I know the last part seems kind of...dark, but how could the Misty Mountains be otherwise? Anyways, don't worry. The next chapter will clarify.**

 **Thanks for reading, and for dashing off a quick review/comment! :)**


	4. Chapter 3: Arrival at Imladris

The quiet was even worse than the scuffling. Every pair of eyes in the tunnel was focused on Gilrael, even Mithrandir's.

She held her bow up straight, an arrow fitted to it. In Sindarin, she told him, "Mithrandir, move your horse forward to here, behind me."

Then she ordered the creatures, goblins Mithrandir realized, to move away from him and in front of her, in Black Speech.

When Gilrael was the only one between a hoard of the goblins and the wizard, she rattled off commands to the creatures. They all gasped, and quickly scurried off.

The elleth lowered her bow, breathing a sigh of relief. "I didn't think they'd go so easily. I thought we'd have to fight."

Mithrandir frowned. "What did you tell them?"

Gilrael hesitated, and the wizard drew himself up to his full height as he yelled, "I said, what did you tell them?"

She swallowed. "Shh. I will tell you, once we get to more abandoned tunnels. Ancient ones only I and maybe one or two others know about. Come."

It was perhaps an hour later before there was utter silence but for the breathing and the landing of the horses' hooves. The darkness was still unsettling, but Mithrandir felt better leading the way and having Gilrael bring up the rear.

She took a shaky breath. "I-I suppose you should know about…my past."

Mithrandir glanced behind, and her silver eyes were now more uncertain than angry.

"I have never told anyone outside the Woodland Realm, and only a handful know the truth. Yes, Lord Elrond, Glorfindel, even Lady Galadriel does not know the whole thing, though I am sure they have come to some conclusions."

Mithrandir waited as Gilrael finally spoke.

"The reason why I know these tunnels, Mithrandir, and why I can navigate them so well, is because I spent ages in these mountains, in captivity."

The wizard widened his eyes. "You mean-"

"Yes, Mithrandir. When I was young, barely over an elfling, I was captured by the Dark Lord, trained in his halls. His black force slowly corrupted me, until I became his most trusted, most powerful servant. I traveled all over Middle Earth on secret missions, using these tunnels often, and others that are darker. That knowledge proves especially useful now, but I must admit, they are not the most enjoyable."

She sighed. "So I told the goblins that I was my old, evil self, Glurdag, their master. They were terrified, especially when I threatened them if they didn't leave immediately. I was quite a wicked elleth, known for my cruelty."

Mithrandir frowned. "Then how did you become good again? Trapped so deep?"

Gilrael took a deep breath. "I had a task in the Woodland Realm. My most dangerous one yet. To infiltrate the palace, gain their trust, and betray them. Kill the king, his son, and as many others as I could."

"And you didn't succeed because?"

Gilrael paused, and Mithrandir looked behind. Her eyes were cast down, but the wizard could tell she was smiling.

"Legolas. He convinced me, persuaded me to turn from the darkness, and join the light."

Mithrandir smiled. "I always knew that he had a skill for speaking, but I didn't know he was _that_ good."

Gilrael looked up. "Well, it was somewhat easy for him, because we grew up together. Until I got captured."

Mithrandir could tell there was more to the story, but he didn't pry. Gilrael had shared more than what was comfortable for her.

They traveled on for a few days, Gilrael providing them both with fulfilling lembas bread and water from various streams.

"Don't worry, I know which ones are safe to drink from."

The horses, however, only got an apple a day, so when they finally emerged from the thick, clenching darkness into the sunlit world, the poor animals refused to take another step.

"Is Rohiel always that tired?" Mithrandir asked.

Gilrael shrugged. "I've pushed her quite hard. Going down the mountain will be easier, and there is stuff for the horses to nibble on, ah, on the way."

As they slowly made their way down the mountain, much easier on the west side, Gilrael questioned Mithrandir about his travels.

The wizard sighed. "Before I stopped by the palace, I visited Dol Guldor, and saw Thror, um, was dying. You know he had been in captivity and tortured by orcs?"

Gilrael nodded.

"Well, I don't know how he got out of that, but he was lying in the courtyard, dying. He gave me this map."

Mithrandir took it out of his cloak, and handed it to the elleth. She studied it carefully.

"Hmm. A map of the Lonely Mountain, and some surrounding area."

The wizard nodded. "And what do you make of the letters?"

Gilrael glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious? You don't know?"

Mithrandir glared at her. "If I knew, I wouldn't ask!"

Gilrael shook her head, and handed the map back. "Sorry, Mithrandir. I know what they are, but it wouldn't help very much. It _is_ curious, though…"

She quieted, clearly pondering. Mithrandir sighed.

"Well, Thror was very disturbed after the map was given to me. He kept mumbling and muttering words I could barely make out, like _idler, enemy,_ and, most importantly, _key._ "

Gilrael shrugged, and flippantly declared, "What am I supposed to make of that?"

But Mithrandir got the feeling that she knew exactly what the old dwarf was trying to say, and was purposely hiding it.

He didn't get much more out of her until they crossed the Bruinen a few days later, and so entered into the fair valley of Imladris.

"It's the ravens, Mithrandir," she began as they galloped into the marble-floored courtyard, where the guards, who recognized them, let them in, and handlers took their horses.

Gilrael hurriedly led him through the familiar halls to the library, telling him of the giant ravens Legolas had seen returning to the Mountain.

But before she could get any farther, an ellon who had been working at the desk jumped up indignantly.

"Gilrael, how dare you disturb me of my studies!"

* * *

The elleth sighed. "I'm sorry, Erestor, but it is of the upmost import-"

"Nothing is more important than my work! I have just made a startling discovery that Saruman may, in fact, be treacherous!"

Gilrael glanced at Mithrandir, who seemed content to let her appease the elder, who had just discovered something she had known for years.

"Well, that's good news, indeed."

"Good? Good?!" sputtered her old tutor. "It's horrible!"

"I meant it's good you found that out sooner rather than later," Gilrael quickly corrected.

Erestor shook his head. "Silvan elves," he sniffed with disdain. "Always focusing on fighting rather than studious duties."

Gilrael cracked a smile. "Oh?"

Erestor sighed, and glanced at her with grudging approval. "But you were always my best pupil, unlike those accursed twins. Fortunately, they are out teaching Estel how to fish, or the ruckus with you here would drive me mad. Thank Eru Legolas is not here. His additional presence would make things worse."

Mithrandir had straightened at the mention of Elrond's newest fosterling. "Estel. And how is he doing?"

Erestor shrugged. "He's been trying to copy Rumil's trick of falling out of a tree without breaking any bones, but I have ceased to advise him against it, because for once the twins are doing something productive and are watching out for him."

Gilrael smiled. "That's a promising improvement. Now, what I was about to ask was may we please have the library to ourselves? I am sure there are other quiet places for you to continue your, ah, discoveries."

Erestor peered at her. "Elrond has been watching you, keeping track of your travels. He and Lady Galadriel. Only one with great importance would be the object of both their attention."

The scholar sighed. "Of course, Gilrael. What did that boy say the other day? Knock yourself out."

Only when the wizard and elleth were alone did they both bend over, laughing heartily.

 **A/N: I don't mean to make fun of Erestor, by any means. He's actually a wise elder, and I have special plans for him... Anyways, sorry it took so long for the next update! Life is so busy, with high-school duties, so posts will be weekly. Hopefully not any longer!**

 **As always, thank you so much for reading! And maybe reviewing? Opinions? *cross fingers***

 **Have a wonderful day! :)**


	5. Chapter 4: Meetings in the West

As Gilrael stood in front of the book shelves, checking every spine for the right one, Mithrandir leaned back in an armchair.

"I meant to inform you of the doings of Thorin Oakenshield. You know he went to the Iron Hills?"

Gilrael nodded as her fingers brushed over _Of the Beginning of Lorien._ "Scouts saw him pass through. He was travelling quite swiftly, I was told. What was he doing?"

Mithrandir sighed. "Seeking aid. He has the mind to march toward the Lonely Mountain and slay the dragon to reclaim his homeland, his gold, his throne."

Gilrael raised an eyebrow. "And what did Dain say?"

"No. Dain told Thorin that he was on his own."

The elleth shrugged, walking her fingers along the books. "Serves him right. Why did you tell me that?"

Mithrandir frowned. "Why, because if he decides to go anyways with a couple of faithful dwarves, the Woodland Realm _will_ be affected! Especially if they awaken the dragon!"

Gilrael paused, frowning. "How do you know he will do such a thing?"

"Because of the signs. You saw the ravens, did you think no one else did? Thorin is anxious, Gilrael, and he will wait no longer."

Gilrael leaned back. "Then it seems to me that you need to have a word with _him_ , not me."

Mithrandir heaved a sigh. "Only problem is, I don't know where he is. I was hoping you did."

Gilrael whirled around, glaring. " _I_ did? Who do you think I am, a babysitter watching everyone of importance in Middle Earth? For your information, I do not know where he is, and several others you may be wondering about. So stop asking!"

She went back to searching, while Mithrandir tried not to roll his eyes. "Well then, I thought I'd have a look in Bree. You think that's a good idea?"

"MAKE YOUR OWN DECISIONS!"

Mithrandir stood. "Alright. If you're not going to be helpful, I'm going to leave."

"Aha! I found it!"

Gilrael lugged the heavy volume to a desk, where it fell with a loud bang. She flipped through the many dusty pages frantically, while Mithrandir watched, frowning.

"What's that?"

She didn't answer for a moment, then quickly said, "During my time in captivity, I wrote volumes and volumes about things I found, experienced. I spread these all throughout Middle Earth, dozens and dozens. One is here, in the library, about some of Sauron's dreams."

" _Sauron's_ dreams?!"

"Yes," Gilrael answered smoothly, still flipping and scanning. "He liked to spend afternoons telling me of his visions, his plans. Some of them I see he is working to execute. Fortunately, I wrote them down, and made copies. Hmm. It's not in here."

Mithrandir raised an eyebrow. "What's not in there?"

Gilrael slammed the book closed, swearing. "I lost it. _How_ did I lose it?"

She started pacing, muttering and thinking hard. "In the ravine, maybe…no, it was clasped. I _was_ running fast, but…" Suddenly, she halted.

"The Shire."

Mithrandir jolted. "What?"

Gilrael picked the book up and slid it into the shelf. "I was passing through, on a quick mission, reading it. I think I dropped it when I saw him, and didn't realize it. So I have to go find it."

"Find _what_?!" the wizard frustratingly cried.

The elleth slung her bag which she had thrown on a couch over her shoulder. "A paper. It was about Smaug and dwarves. Important nowadays, don't you think?"

Mithrandir frowned. "But you don't remember it? If you're planning to look for it, you must have lost it recently."

Gilrael shook her head. "I need proof, Mithrandir. He will not believe me if I do not have solid proof. And what better than a note written in Sauron's own hand?"

"He?"

"Thorin Oakenshield. I aim to find him before you do, even after I find the note."

* * *

Gilrael whisked out of Imladris before anyone of importance saw her, especially Glorfindel, though it was surprising Erestor hadn't alerted the whole valley yet.

She felt guilty around the Balrog-Slayer, mainly because he knew and cared for her before she became corrupted. He knew how evil she had become. And she hated herself for it.

Memories. One remembers. Another forgets. How do you bridge a guilty gap?

Gilrael grit her teeth as Ruinil leaped over some boulders. _Forget, Gilrael,_ Glorfindel had urged her. _Find new friends. Make new memories._

He didn't understand. No one did. You couldn't just forget millennia of torture, pain, and forced crime.

Mithrandir had left on her heels, after she told him she would return to Mirkwood after, but his slow horse couldn't keep up with the speed of the elven one, and she left him far behind. He had questions, she knew, but the answers would never be revealed. Never.

However, Gilrael had a task at hand. She pushed away those memories that always intruded, and focused on getting to the Shire. Hmm. Maybe Bilbo Baggins would know.

* * *

An elven warrior was not taken very well in the peaceful land of halflings. If it were not for the prophecy, Gilrael would have avoided the land largely, but there was a reason why the Rangers fought so hard to protect it. Halflings. Destined to burn…

Gilrael ignored glares and indignant shouts as she made her way through the country, leading Ruinil by voice. A warrior astride a magnificent horse would make her life more difficult, so she drew her hood and tried to be as inconspicuous as possible.

Finally, she arrived at Bag End, and found the hobbit Mithrandir had been so fascinated with sitting on a bench, smoking and kicking his hairy feet cheerfully.

Gilrael approached him quietly, until he saw her and gazed uncomfortably. "Good morning."

"It's after noon, so good afternoon would be suitable."

Bilbo frowned. "How can you tell?"

"Sun, obviously."

The hobbit blinked. "Huh. Right. May I help you?"

Gilrael took a step forward, and Bilbo flinched. "I believe I lost a paper of mine around here a few weeks ago. Have you seen it?"

Bilbo stared at her. "Um, no. A few weeks ago? A paper lost that long ago is lost forever."

"A few weeks is not long at all."

The hobbit widened his eyes. "Wait, so y-you're…"

"An elf, yes. Well, I'd best be on my way. Good afternoon, Mr. Baggins."

As she turned, Bilbo was left gaping. "D-do I know you?"

"Nope!" Gilrael called. "But I know you!"

The hobbit rubbed his eyes, and she was gone. Strange.

* * *

Gilrael didn't need the note. What ridiculous person would really expect to find a note after weeks? No, she wanted to get a good look at the Shire, and a good look at Bilbo, with a good excuse. Well, and some dodging answers.

Mithrandir mentioned him often. Said he was meant for great things. So she took a look, and he didn't look very impressive. Kind of chubby, lazy looking, and for Eru's sake he smoked!

She sighed. Well, for the time being, she would find Thorin. Then she would try to change the dwarf's mind. Fun.

* * *

"Do you trust me, Tauriel?"

Legolas had found her in the dungeons, and he sat next to her on the steps. "Because I don't think you do."

Tauriel sighed. "Of course I do. You saved my life once. But this is something that I really need to solve. A riddle that will not let me rest until I find out who wrote that letter! And I will go find out, no matter what the king says!"

"You must at least promise me this, Tauriel," the Sinda insisted urgently. "Do not go anywhere without me, or without my knowledge. Promise?"

Tauriel glanced down. "Promise," she mumbled.

Legolas sighed, finally realizing what his father felt often. An obvious lie.

 **A/N: Thank-you for staying with me, my long-suffering readers! I am suffering from a terribly sprained ankle after falling down a couple of slippery steps, so I have been...busy. Fortunately, (well, not really) not being able to walk has given me extra time to write. Thus, you will receive two chapters in quick succession.**

 **Hope you enjoy! :)**


	6. Chapter 5: An Unexpected Arrival

Ruinil trotted through the woods outside Bree as Gilrael thought about where to find Thorin. Mithrandir had suggested Bree, so she figured she might as well start there. It wasn't the first time she had tried to find a needle in a haystack.

But shortly before the woods ended, Gilrael heard voices. Young, dwarven ones, having a merry time in front of a blazing fire.

She soundlessly slipped off Ruinil and whispered for her to stay still. Then she crept forward, and peered through the bushes.

There were two dwarves, young by the lengths of their beards, and evidently brothers by their similar facial features and hardened, tanned skin. They were smoking and telling jokes, laughing heartily.

 _Relatives of Thorin,_ Gilrael thought, marking their thick, curly hair and piercing eyes. She would stay and listen.

Shortly thereafter, they grew serious. The older looking one, blonde haired, said, "Wonder what Thorin meant by secret party. Hopefully it's fun. Did you remember the address?"

The younger, brown haired dwarf nodded. "Bag End, I think. Home of Bilbo Baggins. Funny name."

"Do you think we can get there by tomorrow evening?"

The younger dwarf waved a hand dismissively. "Easy. We'll have extra time. Remember when we crossed the-"

Gilrael stepped back. Tomorrow evening…Thorin…secret party…Bag End. She would be there. And maybe she would have an audience.

* * *

First, the elf. Then Gandalf. Then the dwarves, who were largely worse. Loud, rude, invading. But to Bilbo's only comfort, they cleaned up well, though it caused him a great deal of stress.

He stared at the stack of neat dishes as the dwarves and Gandalf laughed and roared. _Deep breaths, Bilbo, deep breaths._ But suddenly, he nearly fainted as three sharp knocks sounded at the door. Slowly, the dwarves grew quiet, and Gandalf solemnly announced, "He is here."

Bilbo frowned. "U-um, who?"

"Nevermind that. Get the door!"

Bilbo jumped up, and hurriedly pattered to the door. He opened it, saying, "Good even-"

But the majestic looking dwarf simply handed the hobbit his dark blue hood, and swept in.

He nodded at the stooping wizard and the dwarves who had gathered near the front door.

"Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. Wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door."

Bilbo blinked, sure there was a mistake. "Mark? There's no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago!"

Gandalf smiled sheepishly. "There is a mark; I put it there myself. Bilbo Baggins, allow me to intro-duce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield."

Bilbo swallowed as Thorin inspected him, circling and raising eyebrows.

"So, this is the Hobbit. Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighti-ng?"

Bilbo frowned, confused for the umpteenth time. "Pardon me?"

"Axe or sword? What's your weapon of choice?"

Bilbo nervously admitted, "Well, I have some skill at Conkers, if you must know, but I fail to see why that's relevant."

Thorin snorted. "Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar."

The dwarves burst into laughter as they all trompee back to the dining table. Bilbo fished some soup out for Thorin, who sipped it regally while the rest talked with him, and Gandalf listened while smoking.

Balin asked, "What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?"

Thorin nodded, stirring the soup. "Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdoms."

The dwarves murmured with joy, exchanging excited glances.

Dwalin anxiously asked, "What do the dwarves of the Iron Hills say? Is Dain with us?"

There was a long pause, and Bilbo watched Thorin's face. He shook his head, and slowly announced, "They will not come."

The dwarves gasped, one exclaiming, "What?!" as Gandalf frowned.

Angrily, Thorin said, "They say this quest is ours, and ours alone.

Bilbo frowned. "W-wait, you're going on a quest?"

Gandalf smiled. "Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light."

The hobbit brought a candle to the table, where Gandalf spread out an old, worn map. "Far to the East, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak."

Bilbo read the map. "The Lonely Mountain."

Gloin nodded. "Aye. Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it's time."

Oin declared, "Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold: When the birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end."

Bilbo frowned yet again, more concerned this time. "Uh, w-what beast?"

Bofur matter of factly said, "Well that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire breather, teeth like razors, claws like meathooks, extremely fond of precious metals "

Bilbo crossed his arms. "Yes, I _know_ what a dragon is."

Ori stood up. "I'm not afraid! I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of the Dwarfish iron right up his jacksie."

Several dwarves shouted with agreement, but Dori yelled, "Sit down!"

Balin shook his head. "The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us. But we number just thirteen, and not thirteen of the best, nor brightest."

The dwarves started objecting loudly.

"Hey, who are you calling dim?"

"Watch it!"

Fili confidently declared, "We may be few in number, but we're fighters, all of us, to the last dwarf!"

Kili nodded. "And you forget, we have a _wizard_ in our company. Gandalf will have killed _hundreds_ of dragons in his time."

Gandalf stuttered, "Oh, well, now, uh, I I I wouldn't say that, I "

Dori eagerly asked, "How many, then?"

Gandalf frowned. "Uh, what?"

Dori prompted, "Well, how many dragons have you killed? Go on, give us a number!"

Gandalf shifted. "Hm."

He embarrassedly started coughing on his pipe smoke while the dwarves jumped to their feet, arguing and betting about the number of dragons Gandalf had killed. Bilbo squirmed. Why were they so _loud_?

To his relief, Thorin suddenly jumped up in anger and bellowed, silencing the rest.

"Quiet! If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumours have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for 60 years. Eyes look east to the Mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor? To arms!" he cried. "To arms!"

All the dwarves cheered and roared, but Balin urgently reminded them, "You forget. The front gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain."

There was a moment of silence, when suddenly, the doorbell rang, which startled them all, and mostly Bilbo.

He sighed. "I suppose there is another dwarf at the door?"

Gandalf looked confused. "I don't know who's at the door. Everyone is here."

Shakily, Bilbo went to the door, not wanting to make the person wait for long, and nervous about who he would see.

When Bilbo opened the door, he saw a tall black mass in front of him. He dragged his eyes from the boots, up, up, all the way to the hooded head. The only part of the face that he could see were two dark shining eyes that immediately made him feel afraid. But the feeling quickly left as she asked pleasantly, "Is Thorin here?"

It was then that Bilbo recognized the stranger, the elf from the previous day. "Oh, um, yes, he is. Please come in. May I take your cloak?"

She didn't answer, but said, "I'd like a glass of wine, please," before she swept inside, a longbow in hand.

Luckily, Bilbo still had a bottle of wine that the dwarves had barely touched, and while he poured a glass, he heard a loud commotion in the dining room. Shouts and growls, curses and insults.

When the hobbit returned with the glass in hand, he stood in shock as a display plate of porcelain was hurled at the elf. Bilbo's breath quickened as she caught the plate in midair, and hurled it down the hall, where it landed neatly on top of the stack of plates.

She glanced at Bilbo, and dipped her head in thanks as she took the glass. The dwarves roared and shouted, but Thorin thundered, "For SHAME! Silence!"

As they all slowly quieted, frowning, Thorin exclaimed, "Do you not know that this is Gilrael, the one elf that helped us in our time of need? Yet you dare to insult her?!"

Gandalf seemed surprised. Evidently, it was not common for a dwarf to defend an elf, Bilbo saw.

Thorin turned to the elf, Gilrael, who glanced indifferently at him while he spoke. "How did you-"

"Hear of this meeting, Gilrael, and where it was to be held?" Gandalf interrupted. "I thought you were going to Bree!"

"I was going to find Thorin," Gilrael corrected, "and I found out he was going to be here."

The dwarf-prince narrowed his eyes. "And how did you do that? This meeting was kept secret!" He glared at the dwarves. "Unless one of you dimwits blabbered about it!"

There were shouts of indignation, but Gilrael's voice was raised above all of them. "QUIET! OR DO YOU ALL WANT TO SPEND THE NIGHT HERE?!"

She leaned back at the sudden calm. "Because I certainly do not."

Thorin still peered at her distrustfully. "Why did you look for me?"

Gilrael exhaled. "Now we're getting somewhere. Remember I told you that I hoped we never met again?"

Thorin nodded gruffly. "Every word."

"Well, this wasn't really my choice, but I had to seek you out. Your father, Thrain, asked me to give you this."

She withdrew a dwarvish key, ornately wrought, from inside her cloak, and placed it on the table.

The dwarves gasped, whispering excitedly.

"The key to the mountain!"

Thorin looked at it in wonder, shock, and disbelief.

"My father. Where was he? What did he tell you?"

Gilrael looked at him steadily. "Thrain was dying, Thorin. I wouldn't be so direct if I knew you could handle the news."

Everyone was quiet, their attention directed to the hooded elf. Bilbo had no idea what was going on, but it sounded very important, so he tried to piece everything together.

"I found him in Dol Guldor, being tortured by orcs. I fought them off, and he gave me the key, for safekeeping. I heard reinforcements coming, but before I left, he told me, 'I do not know how to thank you, Miss, but if I could ask you one last thing before I die, please, find my son, Thorin, and give the key to him. Tell him to reclaim our homeland, and that I've always loved him, down to my last breath.'"

Everyone was silent for a moment, before Thorin gruffly remarked, "My father was not that eloquent, especially if he was near death."

Gilrael shrugged. "If I had told you exactly what he said, you would not have been able to understand it. That was perhaps a few months ago. I had no idea of your whereabouts, so I waited until things began to be put in action. So I found you here, due to eavesdropping on your two young nephews."

Fili and Kili widened their eyes. "You heard us talking!"

She didn't say anything, but Thorin waved a hand. "It matters not. But you choose to help us?"

The elf stared at him. "I told you once that I have no liking for dwarves. But I have great pity for the tortured and dying, and I wish to help the cause of Middle Earth. So I give you the key, but beyond that, I will not be of much help, save one last piece of advice."

She looked around at all the dwarves. "Smaug is asleep. If you wake him, it will mean massive destruction for many. If you are to have any hope at all, you must kill him whilst he sleeps."

"And how are we to do that?" a dwarf asked.

"With a Black Arrow," Balin slowly announced. "But there are none left!"

"Forget about the arrow!" Dwalin exclaimed. "How are you going to get in?"

"Ah," remarked Fili. "If there is a key, there must be a door."

"Another entrance!" Kili exclaimed.

Gandalf brushed his fingers over the map. "Indeed. These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls."

Thorin frowned. "If we can find it. Dwarf doors are invisible when closed."

Gandalf pursed his lips. "The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map and I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in Middle earth who can. Can you, Gilrael?"

She indignantly sat up straight. "Of course."

A dwarf eagerly shouted, "What does it say?!"

Gilrael shook her head. "I told you, my help has ended at the key. As a matter of fact, I must leave immediately." She began to stand, but Gandalf frowned.

"Leaving so soon?"

"Legolas will grow worried, Mithrandir," she replied in Sindarin. "I do not want to be gone longer than I need to."

Gilrael dipped her head down. "Good-night."

Before Thorin could thank her, she was gone. Bilbo stood. "I-I'll be right back."

He hurried to the door, where she was standing. "I know you have questions, Bilbo. But it is not my task to answer them."

The elf suddenly took him by the shoulders, and went on her knees. "Join them on the quest, Bilbo Baggins. Join them. It will be good for you, and beneficial for all."

Bilbo, of course, had no idea what she was talking about, but for one moment the fear and anxiety in his heart melted away as he looked into those warm, tender, and concerned dark eyes.

He nodded. "Y-yes, I-I'll think about your advice."

She smiled brilliantly. "Good. Thank you for the wine."

Gilrael pressed a golden coin into his hand and suddenly whisked away into the night, gone just as abruptly as she had come. Bilbo looked at the coin. It had a single leaf etched into it, with many elvish letters around it. No use in the Shire, but he would keep it forever, in memory of the very strange, certainly not typical, first elf he had ever met. But he would meet a good deal more before his time was over.


	7. Chapter 6: Halls of the Woodland Realm

_A few months later..._

Firlowen hurried back to the palace. A group of dwarves had been seen on the edges of their feast, and didn't leave even after the elves had relocated three times. He rushed through the gates and sprinted on the elevated paths inside, arriving in front of the king's throne.

"Hir nin Thranduil! I bring word from the forest."

The king raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Firlowen?"

"A group of about ten or so dwarves were seen lurking in the shadows beyond our fires. But they have left now, I think, and I-I don't suppose they will be of any concern. The spiders will get them."

Thranduil frowned. "I will not have dwarves trespassing in my kingdom. Ah, Legolas!"

The prince rapidly ascended the steps and bowed. "Yes, Ada?"

Thranduil ordered, "Bring Gilrael, and Tauriel, and the other usual elves and go into the forest. Kill any spiders you find, and bring the dwarves back, but do not kill them. Understand?" The prince bowed, shouldered his bow, and left.

He shouted orders to a few elves, and in no time Gilrael, Lady of Mirkwood, Tauriel, Captain of the Guard, and a dozen other elves were gathered, armed, and ready.

Tauriel marched up front with the prince. "Dwarves? In the borders? It is most unusual for such a large group to be found this deep in Mirkwood."

Legolas glanced at her. "You think this is Thorin Oakenshield's doings?"

"I'm sure of it."

As the young elleth ran ahead, Legolas jogged next to Gilrael. "Keep a close eye on her. I'll handle the dwarves."

As the elves sprinted through the trees, leaping and swinging on branches, Gilrael marked the reddish brown head of Tauriel, who stayed steadily in front with the Sinda. But she noticed the younger elleth growing farther and farther away, until she broke off.

While Legolas and the elves ran one direction, Gilrael followed Tauriel the other direction, which was towards the Enchanted River. Fortunately, she was faster than the younger elleth, and quickly overtook her.

"Tauriel! Did you really think you could go unnoticed?"

"What?!" Startled, Tauriel stumbled, and fell off the tree, landing softly in a spider web, scowling as Gilrael dropped lightly next to her.

"Tauriel?"

The elleth scrambled to her feet, sighing. "I suppose I was hoping you would be preoccupied with the dwarves. But you don't understand, Gilrael! I must leave!"

"The prophecy said when Esgaroth's prophecy is fulfilled."

"When the King under the mountain returns! He is on his way, very close. I must go!"

Gilrael frowned. "I must advise against that."

"Gilrael!"

"Hear me out!" the older elleth ordered. "Who knows how long it will take Thorin to get to Erebor? I will try to talk to Thranduil, but it will not be easy. Until Thorin leaves, I advise you to stay."

"So when he goes, may I go too?" Tauriel hopefully asked.

Gilrael exhaled. " _When Esgaroth's prophecy is fulfilled, find the hidden notes leading from the forsaken cave to Gundabad's outlook._ Where is the forsaken cave?"

Tauriel's face was pained. "I-I can't tell you. Not now. Not yet. But I'm going there, and going alone. You can't stop me."

"Tauriel, listen to me," Gilrael ordered. "Middle Earth grows more dangerous by the minute. I did not return back from the Shire immediately, like I told Mithrandir. I went to investigate the stirrings in the dark places of the world, and my suspicions were confirmed. Something great is awakening, an old power that will not rest until it destroys Middle Earth. I do not want you to be skipping around while this danger is lurking."

Tauriel frowned. "So that's why it took you so long."

Gilrael nodded. "So will you stay?"

The Silvan shook her head. "I do not fear death or torture. What do I have to fear? And besides, the letter said, 'You must heed this, to save the lives of many.' I'm going to go, and that's that."

As Gilrael gazed at her, she knew Tauriel was not going to be convinced otherwise. Her stubbornness was only surpassed by her courage, which very quickly could turn into foolishness. In any case, she did have a sound argument.

The older elleth sighed, resigned. "Esgaroth's prophecy will be fulfilled when the King under the Mountain returns to Laketown. At least stay until Thorin arrives in Esgaroth. Then we will decide what to do."

Tauriel hesitated, but finally her trust and love for Gilrael won out. "Fine. But the second he leaves the forest, I'm going, whether you like it or not."

Gilrael shook her head. "We'll see. For now, let's go back to the palace, and see how Legolas handled the dwarves."

Very rudely, apparently. In the dungeons, dwarves were hurling insults at the elven prince.

"You should look at yourself in the mirror, goblin mutant!"

"Insult my wife again and I'll cut your throat!"

"You're a horrid creature to think we stole anything!"

"You're the liar, that's what!"

They were all gripping the bars of their cells, glaring furiously at the Sinda.

Gilrael frowned. "Um, Legolas?"

He waved a hand. "Ignore them. They're dwarves."

"You hear that lads?!" And all the dwarves roared.

Tauriel peered at them. "That one's a bit taller than the rest. Younger too."

Legolas and Gilrael nodded slowly.

"Hmm. He's quiet, unlike the others. Staring at us instead of glaring."

Legolas shook his head. "No, you're wrong. He's staring at you, glaring at me, and not paying much attention to Gilrael because she's an angel."

She glared at him, but he simply shrugged, and turned to Tauriel. "Since you are the Captain of the Guard, I thought it would be good for you to know what you are guarding."

"Did he say _what_? We're whos, not whats!"

The prince quickly switched to Sindarin, while rolling his eyes.

While he and Tauriel conversed, Gilrael gazed at the dwarves, quiet now, and talking quietly amongst themselves.

"It's no use to try to break out," Balin told them. "These aren't orc dungeons. We're in the halls of the Woodland Realm. No one leaves it, except by the king's command."

"Unless," one of them hopefully suggested, "Gilrael could let us out!"

"No!" a few shouted. "She's a traitor. She's friends with that horrid creature, who put us here in the first place. Don't trust her!"

"Shh! She's standing right there!"

A couple dwarves shot glances at her, and she looked at them sternly. "I would behave, you all. That's the least you can do to help yourselves out of this situation."

As Gilrael left, she heard them whisper, "Does that mean she's going to help us or not?"

Well, she wasn't quite sure yet, but hopefully watching Thorin's audience with Thranduil might help her make up her mind.

* * *

The king was not overly happy to have Gilrael watch, but he relented after she promised she would not say a word.

"What were you doing in my kingdom without my permission, Thorin Oakenshield? Be truthful, and you may find me quite merciful."

The dwarf glanced up at him. "We were looking for food, and that is the truth. As for mercy, I don't believe your cold heart is capable of it."

Thranduil, to Gilrael's relief, chose to ignore the insult. "Looking for food? What brought you into the forest in the first place?"

Thorin was silent. After a moment, the king leaned back in his throne. "You choose not to talk? Do you really think I don't know what you are doing here after all these years?"

The dwarf looked at him murderously. "I wouldn't even be here if you had helped my people! So if you would be so kind as to let us go, we will not bother you or your kingdom ever again."

Thranduil smirked. "Ah, but you see, what benefit will that be to me? _You_ seek that which would bestow upon you the right to rule: the King's Jewel, the Arkenstone. That is your goal. To become King under the Mountain, bloated with endless wealth, ruling over a desperate people."

Thorin was quiet, but Gilrael could see his fiery anger was boiling.

" _I_ seek the heirlooms of my people, white gems of pure starlight. The gems of Lasgalen."

Thorin looked at him with a hardened face. "I'm listening."

Thranduil stood, adjusting his robes. "I will let you go. But if you happen to get lucky and somehow manage to retake the mountain, you must return what is mine. Or there will be war. Thirteen dwarves against an elven army?" The king shook his head. "Doesn't look very good for you."

Gilrael wanted to slap her forehead. Why was Thranduil just like his son? Why did he have to add that last interjection?

Thorin smirked, turned, and slowly started walking away. "A favor for a favor."

Thranduil promised, "You have my word. One king to another."

Thorin stopped, still facing away from Thranduil, and spoke, his voice getting louder and louder.

"I would not trust Thranduil, the great king, to honor his word should the end of all days be upon us!"

He spun around and pointed at Thranduil, shouting, "YOU LACK ALL HONOR! I've seen how you treat your friends. We came to you once, starving, homeless, seeking your help, but you turned your back. You turned your back! You turned away from the suffering of MY people, and the inferno that destroyed us! If not for your lieutenant, we all would have died. AND YOU WOULDN'T HAVE CARED! Die a death of flames, accursed one!"

Thranduil leaped down from his throne and stuck his face in front of Thorin's, hissing, "Do not speak to me of dragon fire. I know its wrath and ruin. I have faced the great serpents of the north." His face contorted in pain, and he drew away.

"Then why didn't you help us?" Thorin still persisted.

The king glared at him, a look that would have melted any dwarf but Thorin. "I warned your grandfather of what his greed would summon, but he would not listen."

He turned and walked up the steps to his throne. "You are just like him."

The king waved his hand and the guards grabbed Thorin and hauled him toward the dungeons. As he left, Thranduil declared, "Stay here if you will and rot. A hundred years is a mere blink in the life of an elf. I am patient. I can wait."

Gilrael frowned, and laid a hand on Thranduil's arm as he collapsed into his throne. "Don't you think that was a bit…dramatic?"

The king sighed. "That's the least you must be if you are to get anything into the thick head of a dwarf. Still, I do not want to keep them. Only my-"

"Pride will prevent you?" Gilrael took a step back, glaring. "Are the gems really that important? That you would go to war? That you would imprison these brave, perseverant dwarves?"

Thranduil leaped up. "Do not speak against me if you are not fully versed with the subject, Gilrael! You think you know everything, due to your information from captivity and your travels, but the truth is, you do not. And you do not realize the things I have suffered in my youth, what those gems mean for me! So don't _ever_ again argue with me about them, young lady!"

Gilrael blinked. Sometimes, he treated her as a peer, asking her advice and opinion. But other times, he was just like a scolding father, and in these times, she sympathized with Legolas.

"I'll try not to, my lord." Before he could protest about the wording of her 'apology', she hastily bowed. "I really must be getting ready for the feast. Etrielle made a new gown for me that I need to try on." Then she hurried out.

* * *

After Legolas informed her of the number of dwarves, their weapons, possessions, et cetera, Tauriel made some excuse and went back to the dungeons. Most of the dwarves were sleeping, and snoring loudly, but she saw the young, brown-haired dwarf was awake, sitting by the door, flipping a smooth, black stone.

Soundlessly, she glided up the steps, and paused by his cell. "The stone in your hand. What is it?"

The dwarf glanced up at her, and seriously declared, "It is a talisman. A powerful spell lies upon it. If any but a dwarf reads the runes on this stone, they will be forever cursed!"

Tauriel stepped back slightly, surprised, and was about to leave when the dwarf spoke again, this time in a laughing manner.

"Or not. Depending on whether you believe that kind of thing. I mean, it's just a token."

Tauriel raised an eyebrow, not amused.

"A runestone. My mother gave it to me so I'd remember my promise."

"What promise?"

"That I will come back to her." He sighed. "She worries. She thinks I'm reckless."

Tauriel smiled. "Are you?"

The dwarf answered lightly, "Nah."

He tossed his stone, but missed, and it rolled out of the cell. Tauriel instantly stopped it with her foot before it could roll into the waterfall outside the cells. She picked it up and inspected it.

The dwarf walked up to the bars of his cell. "Sounds like quite a party you're having up there."

Tauriel looked up as well. "It's not a party. It is Mereth-en-Gilith, the Feast of Starlight."

She stepped slightly away. "All light is sacred to the Eldar, but Wood Elves love best the light of the stars."

The dwarf curled his lip. "I always thought it is a cold light, remote and far away."

Tauriel looked him like he was crazy, and spoke earnestly. "It is memory, precious and pure."

She tilted her head, and handed the dwarf his stone. "Like your promise."

Tauriel looked up. "I have walked there sometimes, beyond the forest and up into the night. I have seen the world fall away and the white light forever fill the air."

The dwarf nodded. "I saw a fire moon once. It rose over the pass near Dunland, huge. Red and gold it was, filled the sky. We were an escort for some merchants from Ered Luin, they were trading in Silverbuck for furs. We took the Greenway south, keeping the mountain to our left, and then, this huge fire moon, right in our path. I wish I could show you."

Tauriel glanced at him, smiling. "Gilrael – you've met her, haven't you? – has seen one. She's an incredible painter, and I'm fortunate to have her painting of a fire moon hanging on my wall."

The dwarf smiled. "Like your hair. Red is a sign of courage."

Tauriel sighed. "So they say. But I am never allowed to leave the kingdom to use it."

The dwarf frowned. "But you fight giant spiders! I saw the prince at it, together with others, and he was marvelous, though I'm not a fan of his personality."

Tauriel smiled. "Oh, I'm not as good as he is, but fighting giant spiders is monotonous. Dagger through the head, arrow in the belly, it's actually quite simple. When you are not afraid of something, confronting it is not considered courageous."

"Why aren't you allowed to leave?"

The elleth sighed. "Thranduil is dodging my requests, telling me to finish my work here first. Gilrael thinks it's too dangerous out there for me. Doesn't let me leave."

The dwarf frowned. "Gilrael? She seems a bit out of the ordinary. I mean, she's an elf who helped us."

Tauriel shrugged. "I don't know why she did that. But she's not evil, at least not anymore, so I suppose she just has a kind heart."

"What do you mean, not anymore?"

Tauriel swore inside. "None of your business, dwarf. Ah, excuse me. What's your name?"

He grinned, and dipped his head. "Kili, at your service. You?"

She hesitated, then sighed. "Tauriel. I-I need to ask you something."

Kili leaned forward eagerly. "Anything!"

"Well, that's good. If you, I don't know, happen to escape the palace, somehow, can you promise to let me know? I realize it'll be hard, but-"

Kili smiled. "I promise, if you have any ideas. Not much I can do if we're trying to be sneaky."

Tauriel exhaled with relief. "Oh, good. Well, there's no possible way you're going to get out of here without someone helping you from the outside. And he is going to have to come here to unlock you, right? So when he comes, just tell him to find me."

Kili frowned. "You won't tell the guards?"

She smiled. "I _am_ a guard! The Captain. No, I'll let things work out without my interference."

The dwarf frowned. "Why? If you're not going to report it, why don't _you_ just help us leave?"

Tauriel's heart thumped. She hadn't thought of that. "I-I couldn't do that! It would be against the king's command! I would be a traitor, betraying Gilrael's and Legolas' trust. No, I wouldn't go quite so far as to initiate the escape, but if it happens and I know about it, I won't tell."

"You speak as if you _know_ we're going to escape."

Tauriel smiled. "Your cause is a noble one. All noble causes will work out."

She sighed. "Well, I must leave. No doubt everyone at the Feast is wondering where I am."

But as Tauriel took the stairs out of the dungeons, a hand rested on her shoulder. She twirled around with a gasp, then crossed her arms, frowning. "Legolas. What do you want?"

"I heard your conversation."

She blinked. "You mean, _over_ heard? Eavesdropping is wrong, Legolas!"

He shrugged. "Not if you are trying to protect one you love. Tauriel, I know you are planning to leave the minute Thorin takes a step out of the borders. That's why you wanted to be alerted if someone rescued them."

Tauriel nodded. "I can't hide anything from you, can I." She sighed. "So, you know. Now what?"

Legolas stared at her, with those caring, tender eyes. "Tauriel, I'm not going to stop you. Don't think for a minute that I will. But if you go without me, or Gilrael, you will be in grave danger."

She frowned. "What do you mean by grave danger?"

The Sinda sighed. "Gilrael has given bits and hints. She believes someone is following the dwarves, tracking them. If they escape and you follow, you will be right in the hands of their pursuers. And they will kill you."

Tauriel stared at him, and for a moment, they locked eyes. Then she suddenly asked, "Did you slip out of the feast? Thranduil will be mad. Where's your circlet?"

She knew he was still pressing, still trying to get her to say she won't go alone, but she would never do that. She had to go back to that forsaken cave alone, or the memories would overwhelm her.

Tauriel would leave by herself, when the dwarves were rescued. It was not a matter of if, but a matter of when. Forget the pursuers.


	8. Chapter 7: Searching for the Halfling

A week or so after the dwarves were captured, Gilrael sat on her bed, thinking hard. She was certain Mithrandir had convinced Bilbo to join the group, yet the hobbit was nowhere to be found!

Kili had told Tauriel all about their adventures, who in turn had told Legolas and Gilrael. And the dwarf had said the hobbit went missing after he rescued them from spiders.

Gilrael frowned. That meant Bilbo was either wandering in Mirkwood, or had somehow snuck into the palace. She would find him, either way.

The elleth stood, and was about to look for Legolas when he walked into the room, clearly in a distressed state of mind.

"Ada told me I'm on spider duty for the _whole_ _day_!" he lamented. "I wanted to go riding, but he said we needed to get rid of those spiders immediately."

Gilrael raised an eyebrow. "Did you tell him that it would be more efficient to head right down to Dol Guldor where they're coming from and wipe them out?"

Legolas nodded miserably. "But he _still_ insisted! Said his job is protecting the kingdom, not the world."

The elleth rolled her eyes. "You sound like an elfling, Legolas. But I need a favor from you."

The Sinda's eyes lit up. "Yes, of course. Anything."

"While you are out, could you look for signs of Bilbo Baggins, the halfling-"

"On the quest with the dwarves. Of course. If I find him, I'll bring him back."

Gilrael smiled. "Excellent. He's either in the-"

"Forest or palace, and I'll look in the forest while you look in the palace. Wonderful."

The elleth raised an eyebrow. "You're more observant than you look."

Legolas smiled. "Well, spider duty won't be so bad since I have something more interesting to do. Besides helping you," he added with a wink.

Gilrael frowned, but before she could say anything he whisked out of the room. She could have sworn he muttered something like, 'I'm an idiot.'

She shook her head. Sometimes she didn't know what to think of that ellon.

Gilrael spent the morning scouring the palace for clues of the hobbit, and received many strange looks in return for her work.

"Are you checking my sweep job, Gilrael?" one maid asked her.

"No, you did it too well. There's no dust to track footprints in!"

The maid raised an eyebrow. "Oookay."

Another time, Falluen, Legolas' best friend, remarked, "There's nothing in the shelves but dust, Gilrael."

She glared at him. "That's what I'm looking for!"

"Dust?"

"Yes! Now go, um, go kill some spiders!"

Yet for all her effort, Gilrael found no clues as to the whereabouts of Bilbo Baggins. She resolved to wait until Legolas returned, hopefully with good news.

That evening, the Sinda entered her chamber covered in spider webs, looking thoroughly spent, and in low spirits.

She looked up from her book in surprise. "Why, Legolas, what happened?"

He sighed wearily. "Many things, but one thing's for sure. The halfling is not in Mirkwood."

"Why are you covered in spider webs?"

Legolas flushed. "I would prefer not to tell you."

Gilrael raised an eyebrow. "Alright then. Well, I didn't find anything either."

The prince frowned. "What can it mean?"

Gilrael murmured, "A cloak of invisibility…"

Her mind suddenly clenched on a horrible possibility, but she quickly pushed it away. Surely things were not _that_ bad! But the spawning in Dol Guldor, the stirring in the north, ... she shuddered.

"Gilrael?"

She fought the urge to tell that face everything, and shook her head. "Never mind, Legolas."

"What's the matter?"

"I said, _never mind_."

The Sinda frowned, but dropped the subject. "So, what are you going to do?"

Gilrael stood. "Search the palace again, but with a different perspective. If I find that hobbit, then Middle Earth is doomed."

Legolas blinked as she waved a hand. "Oh, go clean yourself up."

"But-"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

She knew Legolas wasn't satisfied, but he left without another word. That was one of his qualities that Gilrael very much appreciated: the ability not to pry.

* * *

Gilrael's first step was to find Tauriel, who was on the eastern gate shift.

"Tauriel! Any news to report?"

The younger elleth turned. "Not much. I've been here for about an hour, and every few minutes there's a slight rustle in those bushes over there, on the side of the river. It's not the wind, but more like a large animal."

Gilrael frowned. "Well, keep a close eye on it. But this isn't the reason for my arrival. Did any of the guards in their report to you tell you something a bit strange? An odd sense?"

Tauriel shrugged. "Maybe one or two at the front gate thought they heard a soft patter of steps, and Legolas told me he heard the steps and a gentle breathing. But he thought he was hearing things."

Gilrael tilted her head. "Really. He didn't tell me."

"Probably because you didn't ask. He's more than willing to tell you anything if you do, but if you don't bring a topic up, he's very good at keeping quiet about it."

Gilrael shrugged. "Good and bad, I suppose. Thank you Tauriel. And remember to keep a close eye on those bushes. I fear danger may come from them."

Her suspicions being confirmed, Gilrael set to work on re-searching the palace for the hobbit. She had gone for about half an hour when Legolas found her and offered to help. Together, they had continued for about fifteen minutes before Falluen found them and also offered to help, though he was a bit skeptical.

The three of them searched the palace throughout the night, and arrived in the dungeons in the early morning. Unfortunately, they received taunts and insults from the dwarves instead of clues. They continued on to the cellar, where they concluded their search in despair.

"It's a hopeless case!" Falluen cried. "That hobbit is not in this palace."

"For shame," Legolas scolded. "You ought to have more trust in Gilrael's instincts by now. And I swear I sensed a hidden presence on the bridge the other day."

"A week ago, Legolas," Gilrael corrected absently. "It wasn't the other day."

The prince shrugged. "I suppose I have an elven sense of time. What are we going to do now?"

Gilrael frowned, and peered through the racks of wine bottles. "Find Bilbo, hopefully. I think I feel something…"

* * *

The hobbit pressed himself against some barrels, nearly holding his breath in his effort to stay hidden. The normal elves scared him enough, but these three newcomers were clearly of higher rank, and they were looking for him! He didn't understand elvish, but he heard his name loud and clear, and that was enough.

Bilbo had the Ring on, of course, but it didn't mask all the senses. He had little doubt that the elves could hear him if they knew he was there, so he tried to still his breathing even more.

But it was very hard, oh so very hard. The presence of the female elf made him want to rip the Ring off and reveal himself to her, but he fought the urge. She would kill him if she discovered him trespassing!

Unfortunately, Bilbo had bad luck. His heart thumped wildly as the female elf turned, and stared straight at him. He was slightly relieved to see she was Gilrael, the mysterious elf who had visited him, but this time, it was _he_ who was trespassing!

The elf said something to her companions, who both turned to look at him, but unlike the female, they looked confused.

It seemed she explained things to them, then slowly walked towards him. Bilbo tried to squeeze himself smaller, but she wasn't fooled.

Suddenly, her hand clamped on his shoulder, and he had just enough time to slide the Ring off into his pocket.

"You're quite a brave half-ling to lurk unwelcomed here in the deepest part of the Woodland Realm."

Bilbo shook with fear. "I-I beg your pardon. I-I didn't mean to intrude, but those dwarves are my friends, and I couldn't just leave them!"

As soon as he said it, he wished he could curl up and disappear, permanently. Who knew what those three intimidating elves would do?

Gilrael frowned, then turned to the two male elves. "You two should go. You're scaring him. Don't you see? He's going to pass out soon."

The blonde elf, the prince, raised an eyebrow. "Oh, like _you're_ not scaring him?"

The brown-haired elf pulled the prince with him. "Come on, Legolas. We can talk with her later."

When the two elves were gone, Gilrael smiled. "There's nothing to fear, Bilbo Baggins. I'm sure my first words were quite dramatic, but – oh dear."

The 'brave' half-ling had fainted.

* * *

Gilrael leaned forward as Bilbo slowly opened his eyes, laying quite comfortably on her bed. He must have had a difficult week, sneaking around the palace and stealing what food he could get.

The hobbit shivered. "W-will you take me to the king?"

Gilrael raised an eyebrow. "Thranduil? No, most likely not, if you answer me truthfully. Tell me about the quest."

He relaxed, and after he sat up, took a deep breath. "As you know, the dwarves are on a quest to kill the dragon from their mountain, and reclaim their homeland. They picked me as their fourteenth man, and eventually, mainly due to what you advised me, I joined them. And I intend to rescue them. You won't kill me, will you?"

Gilrael hadn't found herself so amused in a long time. She smiled. "No, of course not. But how do you plan to rescue the dwarves without the guards knowing?"

Bilbo gulped. "I had p-planned to steal the keys, and unlock them. Then I would put them in the wine barrels, and send them into the river."

Gilrael frowned. "Did you really think we're stupid enough not to notice you?"

Bilbo blinked. "Well, I, yes. But now that you know, that won't work. You'll alert the guards."

Gilrael pursed her lips. "I wonder-" But suddenly, out of the blue, a searing pain entered her head. She bent over, gasping in the agony, panting as the pain throbbed. Her vision swirled, and all she saw in front of her was a pack of Wargs and Orcs, led by Bolg, spawn of Azog.

"The gates are well-guarded," one Orc reported to him in Black Speech.

Bolg smirked. "But not all of them. Come! To the eastern gate. We attack at the crack of dawn."

They stampeded down the river, and laid hidden in the bushes. The ones that Tauriel had reported were rustling occasionally…

As quickly as the pain and vision had come, it disappeared, and Gilrael collapsed onto the wall, still breathing heavily. Her head ached with a steady pound, but the piercing pain was gone.

Bilbo had taken a step back and was staring at her in horror. She rubbed her head. "S-sorry about that, Bilbo."

Gilrael shook her head. "Well, that decides things. Come, I will help you. We must do something to prevent Galion and the Lethuin, the Keeper of the Keys, from finding us."

Bilbo slipped out of the bed and followed her, as if in a trance.

"A-are you okay, Gilrael?"

She nodded curtly. "Fine. What's that?" She had noticed a tiny dagger hanging from his belt like a sword, which he drew from its sheath.

"I found this a few weeks ago, in a troll hoard, and I use it as a sword. I call it Sting, but no one bothers to tell me anything more about it."

Gilrael stopped and turned. "A troll hoard? A short distance from Rivendell?"

Bilbo nodded. "Yes, that's the one."

"I've been there. Did you find anything else?"

"Yes. Thorin found a sword, named Orcrist, and Gandalf found a sword named Glamdring. Lord Elrond told us the names."

Gilrael nodded. "If Lord Elrond let you keep them, then I will too. Let me see your blade."

Bilbo handed it to her and she looked over it. "Hmm. An ancient dagger, not of much importance, really. That is why Lord Elrond did not bother to look at it. But it was forged in the ancient city of Gondolin, in the First Age, together with Orcrist and Glamdring, although they were more important. I believe Legolas has confiscated Orcrist."

Bilbo shrugged. "The elves disarmed the dwarves entirely."

They arrived back at the cellar. Gilrael took an herb out of her pocket. "Galion and I haven't always seen eye to eye. He doesn't trust me, or like me very much. And quite frankly, I don't like him or trust him either. That's why I have no qualms about putting a sleeping herb into his drink, and maybe have Thranduil give him a little scolding."

She rubbed it into a glass of wine at a small wooden table, then frowned. "But as for Lethuin, I'll have to distract him. He's a fine ellon, and I would hate to disturb _his_ career."

She pointed to the keys. "Take those and go to the dungeons. I'll distract the guards."

Bilbo nodded and scurried off, but Gilrael noticed he had his hand in his pocket, and when she turned the corner, he was nowhere to be seen.

The elleth swallowed. It might have been as well. There were few stronger than hobbits to fight such a power as…that.

She hurried down the stairs to the cellar, where Lethuin was fast asleep. She cursed. The Keeper must have drunk the drugged wine instead of Galion! Why did they have to change their habits on the one day where it was most important for them to remain usual?

Still, Galion was not in the cellar, so Gilrael ran back up to complete the next part of her plan. She gathered together the guards and ordered them to fortify the eastern gate, no questions asked.

Suddenly, the bells rang, signaling a breach of the dungeons. Gilrael sprinted back inside to the dungeons, where Tauriel was flanked by Falluen, crying out in surprise.

"Where is the Keeper of the Keys?" she demanded to a few gathering guards.

Gilrael slipped past them and hurried into the cellar, where she saw the floor settle. Good. The dwarves and Bilbo were on their way.

But suddenly, someone pushed her from behind, and she tripped on the lever, which sent her flying through the air to land quite ungracefully in the roaring river.

Gilrael sputtered and coughed as she tried to hold her head above the water. The current pushed her forward, so that most of the time she was swirled underwater. She was slightly aware of bobbing barrels ahead of her, but her main focus was to avoid dashing herself onto boulders, and trying not to drown.

Tossed down a waterfall! Gushed through a whirl of currents! Tossed down another waterfall! Why were there so many waterfalls?!

Finally, as they neared the closed gate, she slowed down, and found herself pushing up against the dwarves' barrels as they yelled in frustration. Bilbo clung to the side of the last dwarf's barrel, gasping for breath.

"It's Gilrael! She's coming with us!"

As the other dwarves murmured in surprise, she grabbed an empty barrel and crawled in it. "I'm not! Someone pushed-"

But suddenly, the silver armed guards on the bridge above them collapsed with a thud, black arrows in their chests. Gilrael widened her eyes. The ambush had begun.


	9. Chapter 8: Barrel Chasing

Legolas burst from the bushes, flanked by Falluen, Firlowen, and several other elves, shooting off a volley of arrows to the orcs. He had no idea where Gilrael was, but at least he knew Tauriel was fighting in front of him.

He entered the familiar, smooth rhythm of draw, nock, pull, release, over and over, slaying several orcs every time. But they just kept coming.

After some time, he heard the leader of the orcs shout a command in Black Speech. Legolas risked a glance, and saw with horror that it was Bolg, spawn of Azog the Defiler, chasing after the dwarves who had tumbled down a waterfall in their barrels. Apparently, someone had opened the gate.

Legolas jumped over the stone railing and ran with the other elves, swinging and leaping on branches, firing arrows. The dwarves still bobbed along, some retrieving weapons from the fallen orcs, but the Sinda caught his eye on one of the more skilled.

He nearly fell off the tree when he saw Gilrael, drenched to the roots of her tangled hair, doing quite an effective job of slashing at orcs whenever she neared the banks. What was she doing down there? Well, only one way to find out.

The Sinda leaped over the river and landed with a foot on the heads of two dwarves, who yelled in indignation. From this vantage point, he shot orcs on either riverbank. He aimed carefully, and managed to skewer two orcs through the head with one arrow.

Legolas continued fighting orcs, using the heads of floating dwarves as stepping stones to fly across the river, twirling around on one leg to avoid boulders, and releasing an arrow.

While he 'danced' and fought, he yelled in Sindarin, "Gilrael! What are you doing in the water?"

She ducked under a sudden arrow, but presently, yelled back, "Tell you later! Can you help me out?"

Legolas glanced down at the dwarf who was fuming under his boot. "Um, not very easily. Just hold on!"

He leaped back onto land while kicking on orc in the head, and drew his knife to fight an orc. While he was preoccupied with fighting, another orc ran up behind him and raised its sword to kill him, but Gilrael threw a knife from behind and slayed the orc, saving his life. Typical.

* * *

The current pushed Gilrael barrel onwards, but as the dwarves floated away, escaping from both the orcs and the elves, her heart suddenly leapt at an approaching log, spanning across the river. With a well-timed grab, she locked her arms around it, and her barrel went diving through the water as she clung to the log with all her might, trying not to slip and fall.

"LEGOLAS!" Gilrael shouted in desperation. She hated the water. Always did. The only reason why she was a good swimmer was that she had been on several occasions where it was either drown or swim. And her strong spirit chose swim.

"LEGOLAS!" she yelled again. No doubt she looked like an idiot, dangling above the water, grasping onto the thick log, but she didn't care. Just for someone to help her out of the water, and to be dry once more!

To her relief, in a few minutes the prince came running lightly over the log.

"You should –"

But no words were needed. He laid down on his stomach and leaned over the log, grabbing under her arms, then pulled her up with a mighty hoist.

"Legolas, you're going to get us both in the water."

He huffed. "You just insulted my sense of balance." The Sinda stood quickly, and took her hand.

"Lost your bow?" he asked as he led her carefully over the slippery log and onto dry land.

Gilrael sighed. "Threw it somewhere on the side. All my arrows are gone, and my knives are in a few dead orcs scattered around here. But thank you for getting me out of there."

Legolas smiled. "You're lucky I'm here to save you. If it was Falluen, or the twins, or Rumil or Orophin, you would be in the water right now."

Gilrael smiled. "I _am_ lucky to have you." Then she realized what she just said, and turned away bitterly.

Legolas frowned. "Gilrael? What's wrong?" He reached towards her wrist, but she stepped away from him.

"I-I can't, Legolas. I need to go." She turned and ran, pretending to search for her knives, but in reality, holding back tears. She could never forget her pledge to _him_ , never afford to betray him no matter how much she wanted to. He wouldn't let her. He would make her pay. And he already did.

* * *

Legolas walked back towards the palace, disturbed. Gilrael was always like that. Sometimes she would smile or laugh with him, then she would look away, or glance at him in guilt. Why guilt? What was she hiding?

He was dying to know, but would rather die than approach her and ask. Thranduil had once ventured to do something of the sort, with very bad consequences. Legolas remembered his father limping through the hallway, a large bruise on his cheek, looking very out of breath. He knew Gilrael wouldn't hurt him like that, especially _there_ , but he wanted to gain her trust and have her tell him herself. Not force it out of her.

Just as Legolas approached the eastern gate, he saw Falluen with an orc in his grip.

"Got a present, mellon?" he asked as he patted his friend's back.

Falluen rolled his eyes. "Of course. For you." He shoved the orc towards Legolas, who quickly thrust a knife under its throat to prevent it from escaping.

"Falluen! I don't want this!"

He laughed. "Go show it to your father, Legolas. He'll want to be there for the questioning."

Legolas frowned. "By whom?"

"By Gilrael, of course. Did you rescue her?"

The Sinda raised an eyebrow. "Yes, but if you are implying anything-"

"No, not at all," Falluen cheerfully announced. "Just the interesting fact that a prince just saved a damsel in distress. I can think of four other ellons who would love to help you."

Legolas glared at him. "No doubt about that, but I don't need _help_ , thank you."

"Well I'm sure that's very manly of you, but consider that you haven't had any results in about a thousand years. If you want her, you should-"

"Stop talking about her as if she's just a _thing_ I wanted!" Legolas snapped. "She's a noble elleth to be respected. And I'll respect her choices. In this case, to not get caught up with less important things than her duties."

He dragged the orc after him as Falluen stood behind, shaking his head. "Oh well," he murmured. "Oh well."


	10. Chapter 9: He is Family

Legolas forced the orc to its knees as he stood with his knife pressed to its throat. Thranduil stood nearby with his hands clasped in front of him, while Falluen twirled a knife absently, observing the scene carefully. Tauriel was nowhere to be found.

Gilrael stood in front of the orc, staring at it menacingly, with wide eyes.

"Such is the nature of evil," she murmured. "Out there in the vast ignorance of the world it festers and spreads, a shadow that grows in the dark. A sleepless malice as black as the oncoming wall of night. Slowly stirring. Slowly revealing itself."

Legolas harshly said, "You were tracking a company of thirteen dwarves. Why?"

The orc choked, and said, "Not thirteen; not any more. The young one, the black-haired archer, we stuck him with a Morgul shaft."

Gilrael narrowed her eyes.

The orc continued, "The poison's in his blood. He'll be choking on it soon."

Falluen glared at it. "Answer the question, filth."

The orc snarled, "Sha hakhtiz khunai-go!"

Gilrael poured all of her hatred in one, long glare. The orc shrunk back as she sternly commanded, "You will listen to me, Kazan, you understand? If you do not-"

"I will!" it suddenly cried. "I will!"

The elves slowly turned to her in surprise. "How did you-" Legolas began.

"Know his name?" Falluen finished.

Gilrael pursed her lips, but waved her hand slightly, as a sign that she would tell them later.

Legolas looked down at the orc. "You had orders to kill them - Why? What is Thorin Oakenshield to you?"

Kazan growled, "The dwarf runt will never be king."

"King? There is no king under the mountain nor will there ever be. None would dare enter Erebor, whilst the dragon lives," declared Legolas.

"Whilst?" Falluen whispered. The Sinda glared at him.

The orc hissed, "You know nothing! Your world will burn!"

Legolas frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Kazan struggled, but Legolas dug his knife further. "Speak!"

The orc choked, then said, "Our time has come again. My master serves the One."

The elves glanced at Gilrael as her eyes widened.

"Do you understand now, princeling? Death is upon you. The flames of war are upon you-"

"NO!" Gilrael screamed, and in an instant, Kazan was beheaded, leaving its head in Legolas's hand.

He tossed it down in disgust, then gazed at Gilrael in worry. She was panting, her sword tossed on the ground as she clutched her stomach. The fires that had begun to envelope her mind abated, though the evil whispering still lingered in her mind.

" _Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul._ "

And through the chanting, a single, persuasive male voice. "It is time. The attack will come, and I expect you to bring them there to be slaughtered. Your work will pay off, Gilrael. But if you betray me instead of them, the pain you once endured will return."

"NO!" she screamed once more. "SHUT UP, YOU FILTH!"

"Gilrael!" Falluen cried. "What's going on!"

Legolas ran to her side, clutching her shoulders and shaking her. "Gilrael, listen to me. Mellon, can you hear me?"

She panted, gasping for breath. "S-slaughtered. Death. Flames."

While Legolas tried to comfort her, Falluen and the king drew aside.

"I…think I know what she knows."

Falluen frowned. "What?"

"They intend to unleash a weapon so great it will destroy all before it. We must be prepared, Falluen."

Thranduil turned and headed down the steps, the ellon second-in-line for the throne following as the king ordered, "I want the watch doubled at all our borders. All roads, all rivers. Nothing moves but I hear of it. No one enters this kingdom, and no one leaves it. Go, Falluen. Spread the news."

He bowed, and hurried off. The king glanced back up, where Gilrael was crying into Legolas' shoulder. Poor elleth. She knew too much. She had seen too much. She had suffered too much. What was he to do about it?

The only thing that comforted Thranduil was the apparent fact that his son was the only one who could soothe her.

* * *

Tauriel jumped over boulders and ran through the forest, dodging branches and logs. She carried only her weapons and the note, and was dressed in her travelling garments. Only thing was, in her rush, she had forgotten to bring a cloak. Which meant she had no hood to conceal her hair, which had grown fiery red as the years had gone on.

Tauriel sighed. Hopefully she wouldn't _need_ a hood, though the plains west of Mirkwood had grown dangerous, a passageway between the Misty Mountains and Dol Guldor.

No matter. She had navigated those plains as a lost elfling, and now, a mature, trained elleth, she had confidence that she would complete her mission.

As Tauriel ran, she breathed out the words of the letter, over and over again.

" _W_ _hen Esgaroth's prophecy is fulfilled, find the hidden notes leading from the forsaken cave to Gundabad's outlook._ "

She leaped over a log.

" _I love you, I always have, and please forgive me, though I don't deserve it."_

She ducked under a low-hanging branch.

" _You must heed this, to save the lives of many!"_

She sliced through a spider web.

" _A. T. B._ "

After a few times of this, Tauriel skidded to a stop, leaning on a pine trunk, heaving her shoulders, and trying not to cry. The note made sense, mostly, except for the last part. Who was A.T.B?

Tauriel had agonized over it for centuries, and had come up with nothing. Nothing! The only thing she knew was that whoever A.T.B was, he was the ellon in her necklace.

Wiping a stray tear, she rested her bow on the trunk and slowly took off her silver, tear dropped shaped pendant necklace. Opening the diamond, she revealed two tiny paintings. One, of a younger version of her parents, side by side. The other, of a smiling, young ellon about Legolas' age, with the Sinda's same icy blue eyes, but with smooth, reddish brown hair.

Tauriel swallowed, but she peered in closer as she noticed something she hadn't ever before. The ellon looked like a mixture between her and Legolas, so similar to both of them. How could it be, unless the three of them were somehow family?

Tauriel lit up. That meant she was related to Legolas! And there were only so many ways Legolas was connected to her as family. True, he looked nothing like her, but the ellon in her necklace looked like her, and he looked like Legolas. There was a tie.

Legolas was certainly not her brother…maybe a cousin. He was too young to be her uncle, and too old to be her nephew. And the ellon in her necklace had to be…her brother.

Of course! Why hadn't Tauriel thought of it before? The resemblance was only such between siblings. And she was confident that, in some way, Legolas was her cousin. Only thing left to find out was where her brother was, and whether her mother or father was a sibling of Thranduil. Maybe when she arrived at the forsaken cave and followed the clues she would find out.

* * *

Gilrael was still taking deep breaths and trying to calm down as Legolas rubbed her back when Galion ran up to the king.

"Hir nin! I know who released the dwarves, let them escape."

Thranduil tilted his head. "You do? Tell me."

"Gilrael. She drugged Lethuin and took the keys, then had the dwarves escape in barrels."

The elleth glared at him as Legolas frowned. "Did you?

"No! Do you even have to ask?"

As Galion and Thranduil argued, she leaned up into Legolas' ear. "I only had Lethuin sleep for a little while Bilbo Baggins released the dwarves."

The Sinda blinked. "But why?"

"Bolg, the orcs…we would have been constantly attacked if the dwarves were kept imprisoned. I had to get them out of here, so the orcs would follow them and get away from our borders."

"So you would send that danger to others? To Esgaroth?"

Gilrael sighed. "It's my duty to protect my people and my lands first. I'll worry about Esgaroth later."

Thranduil took the steps up to his throne platform. " _Did_ you release them, Gilrael? I have a hard time believing Galion, but I never know with you."

The elleth explained to the king what she had told Legolas, then glared steadily at Galion. " _You_ pushed me, didn't you? What were you thinking?"

The elves turned to look at Galion, whose face had flushed red. He knew, of course, that there was no way to hide.

"I, um, yes, I did. I'm sorry-"

"And you thought you would try to get Gilrael in trouble?!" Thranduil thundered. "I should have you exiled for such behavior!"

"No, my lord, please hear me out!" Galion pleaded. "The enemy…I think she's going to join them again."

Thranduil frowned. "How do you know that?"

The butler swallowed. "I-I've heard her, yelling in her room that she would join them."

"What were you doing, listening to her in her private chamber?" Legolas yelled.

"I was delivering a drink!" he protested. "I overheard, because it was so loud!"

Thranduil turned to her. "He's wrong. Gilrael, tell me he's wrong!"

Gilrael stared steadily at him. "He's wrong, Thranduil, and I hope you won't be swayed otherwise."

"Wait!" Galion cried. "Witness…Etrielle heard it too!"

"I heard what?" the maid asked as she ran up the steps.

Galion whirled around to face her. "Heard Gilrael yell that she would join the enemy!"

Etrielle blinked as they all stared at her. She was once the closest friend of the late Queen Serilna, and the most trusted advisor of Oropher. Whatever she said would be believed.

"I-I must confess that I _did_ hear her yell that. I was cleaning up Legolas' room across the hall, and heard it quite distinctly." She had tears in her eyes as they all turned to Gilrael.

"Is this true?" Thranduil quietly asked.

Gilrael didn't answer for a moment, then calmly told him, "It is true. What they heard was true."

Everyone gasped, but she continued, "But they did not hear all of it."

From behind her, Gilrael could feel Legolas exhale, his warm breath on her neck. "Thank Eru!"

"It is true that I yelled I would join the enemy, but the whole sentence was, 'You are a fool to think I will join the enemy!'"

Thranduil frowned. "But who were you talking to?"

Gilrael shook her head. "I cannot tell you. I do not deem it safe."

"Is what you said the truth, Gilrael?" Thranduil asked quietly, in a seemingly calm voice but what she knew to be, if you answered with a lie, absolutely deadly.

"It is, my lord, I swear to it."

The king leaned back. "I will trust you, but you understand that we cannot live with a risk. Especially in these days. If you betray us, you will have to live with that guilt on your conscience."

"Ada!" Legolas sharply cried. "She has enough guilt as it is. Why burden her with such talk?"

He leaned down, and whispered, "I believe you, Gilrael, and even if the whole world turns against you, I will be there for you."

Gilrael glanced up with a smile, softly brushed her fingers along his hand. "I know, Legolas. I know."

Thranduil turned slowly to Galion, who shook with fear. "What am I to do about you, Galion? You have served the royal family faithfully for millennia without a single breach of protocol. But you rush to conclusions about my most trusted advisor, and even push her into the river. That is beyond disrespect. It is treason."

Everything was still, until Thranduil waved his hand. "I will not banish you, Galion, but I cannot have you working in my palace. If I see you step foot in it any time after tomorrow morning, you will be banished from the kingdom. Understood?"

Galion nodded.

"Now leave!"

The butler rushed out of sight, and was soon gone. Etrielle bowed. "I only came to have a word with you, Thranduil, but if this is not a good time-"

"No, Etrielle," the king quickly said. "These two may leave. After," he added, "Gilrael answers a quick question."

She turned. "Yes?"

"If it was not you, then who released the dwarves?"

Gilrael pursed her lips. "One of the Perianth. A hobbit named Bilbo Baggins."

* * *

"Have you seen Tauriel?" Gilrael asked Magor, a guard on duty for the front gates. She had recovered from the vision, mostly, and while Legolas made sure all the gates were sealed, she tried to locate the missing elleth.

He pursed his lips. "She went into the forest armed with her bow and blade a while ago. She has not returned."

"You mean you _let_ her walk out _right in front of you_?!"

Magor widened his eyes. "I-I didn't know she wasn't supposed to leave!"

Gilrael crossed her arms. "Did she tell you where she was going?" The elleth whirled around toward the other guards. "Any of you?!"

They all quickly shook their heads as Gilrael swore, rushing back inside the palace. She had a very good idea where Tauriel was going: the forsaken cave in the note. The only problem was that she had never told Gilrael where that was.

Falluen nearly crashed into her as she sprinted through the palace. "Gilrael! What's wrong?"

"Tauriel's gone. I'm taking Legolas to look for her. You're going to stay and-"

"Face the wrath of Thranduil? Um, no, thank you."

Gilrael looked at him desperately. "Please, Falluen, you must! I have to go because I have the best idea of where to look, and Legolas has to go because…"

Falluen frowned. "Because what?"

Gilrael swallowed. "Because I think he's related to her."

Falluen blinked. "Really."

Gilrael was anxious to move on. "Please, Falluen. I hate to bring this up now, but I helped you to win the swords match against Elladan. So you owe me one."

Falluen exhaled. "Fine. But Thranduil's really, really, _really_ not going to happy. He's mad enough when you or Legolas take off without telling him, but now that he banned permission to leave the borders, he's going to be furious."

Gilrael pursed her lips. "Tell him we're going together, and we're not going to get separated. We'll protect each other."

Falluen sighed. "That's not going to help very much, but I will. And I'll also get Rochest. It's stronger and faster than your horse."

Gilrael nodded. "Thank you so much."

As she hurried off, Falluen called, "Be careful!"

"I will!"

* * *

Shortly after, Legolas and Gilrael were speeding through Mirkwood on the back of his energetic stallion. He sat in the back while Gilrael controlled Rochest with her voice, so that he could scan the ground with his keen eyes.

"Are you sure you can keep an eye on the tracks at this pace?"

Legolas nodded. "Tauriel wasn't making much of an effort to stay unnoticed. It's almost as if she's leaving a clear path for us."

Gilrael shook her head. "She must be very distraught."

They galloped on for a little bit before Legolas suddenly rested a hand on Gilrael's shoulder. "I think she's slowing down. The footprints aren't as deep. Slow down, Gilrael."

She told the command to Rochest, who trotted along at a slow pace.

"Do you think we're getting close?"

Legolas nodded. "She's walking now. Ran very quickly from the palace to here, but we'll find her soon."

Gilrael patted Rochest's mane. "He's a quick fellow."

Legolas smiled. "Spirited is more like it, but we elves can manage him. Oh, look! She ran again. Go!"

Rochest took off, and they whirred to the trees. After a few minutes, Gilrael cried, "There she is! I see her!"

Legolas gazed at the trees around him. "We're in the north western part of the woods. Wild, tangled. Towards Gundabad."

Gilrael glanced behind him. "That's what the note said, didn't it? 'Follow the clues to Gundabad's outlook.'"

"Do you know where that is?"

"Yes, and it's not a pretty place. Whoa, Rochest."

Tauriel was leaning against a tree, her arms crossed and her bow on the ground. She looked extremely annoyed and displeased.

"I can never get rid of you two, can I?"

The two warriors slid off the stallion.

"You cannot just run off like that, Tauriel!" Gilrael scolded.

"I told you I would come," Legolas added. "Why didn't you ask?"

Tauriel suddenly straightened, and stared into his eyes. He frowned. "What? Tauriel?"

"You look like him," she whispered. "Only for your hair."

"I look like who?"

Tauriel suddenly unclasped her necklace as Gilrael looked on, confused.

"Here. See? This ellon looks remarkably like you."

Legolas held the portrait to his eyes, his eyes wide. It was the same ellon who had given him the note, long ago. He could swear it. And next to the portrait was one of her parents. Legolas gasped. Her father, Luinil, looked almost identical to Thranduil.

"Where did you find this?" he managed.

"It was in the cave where my parents left me. The last place I lived before you found me."

"The abandoned cave!" Gilrael exclaimed. "The one in the note. That's where you're going!"

Tauriel nodded. "I didn't want to tell you, but now that you found me, I can't hide it from you anymore. I also can't hide the fact that I believe, I _know_ that Legolas, the ellon, and me are related."

The Sinda stared at her. "How?"

Tauriel leaned back. "That ellon is my brother. And you are our cousin."

 **A/N: So...what do you think? Love it, hate it? So-so? I'd love to hear your thoughts!**

 **Thanks for reading! :)**


	11. Chapter 10: Laketown Stopover

Gilrael frowned. "So does that mean your father, Luinil, is Thranduil's brother?"

Tauriel nodded. "It seems like it. Only way to know for sure, of course, is to ask the king himself."

Legolas and Gilrael simultaneously said, "No."

Tauriel frowned. "It isn't?"

"No, no, that's not what we meant," Gilrael quickly corrected. "We said no because-"

"Neither of us wants to go back to do it," Legolas finished.

Tauriel raised an eyebrow. "Well, one of you has to. I don't think three elves going would be very safe. Secrecy, you know."

Both of them heaved a sigh. "Who, then?"

Legolas crossed his arms, looking a bit uncomfortable. "I, um, hate to do this, but I think you should go, Gilrael."

"Why?"

"Because you are better at getting information out of my father, and this ellon is apparently my cousin. My family. It makes perfect sense for you to go."

Gilrael stood staring at the woods beyond, then after a moment, pursed her lips. "Fine."

Legolas blinked. "What?"

"I said, fine. I'll go back to the palace, while you two go on and follow the clues or whatever."

"That…was fast," the prince remarked.

She shot him a worried look. "Be careful, Legolas. Both of you. Especially near Gundabad. It is an abandoned fortress now, but do not underestimate the ways the enemy has used it. Beware."

Gilrael nodded to Rochest. "You two should take the horse. It's a long journey on foot, but this spirited stallion will get you there in no time. I'll run back. It's a short distance."

Tauriel hugged her. "It may be a long time before I see you again."

Gilrael smiled. "What is time, for an elf?"

She looked at Legolas, but lowered her head. "Farewell, Legolas."

"Is that all I get?"

Gilrael glanced up at his laughing eyes, and cheerful face. She couldn't help but smile back, especially as he hugged her tightly and kissed her head. Yes, the typical farewell.

"Tell Ada not to worry," he murmured. "We'll be safe."

Gilrael punched his arm. "You better be. Now, you don't have much time. Go!"

The two elves mounted the horse, and after a last good-bye and a wave, they were off. Gilrael sighed. She would miss those two.

* * *

Falluen met her at the stables, and he looked weary. "Thranduil gave me the lecture of my life. Worse than Elrond's and Celeborn's combined. I hope he'll be more appeased when he finds out you're back."

Gilrael patted his shoulder. "I appreciate your endurance, Falluen, because I don't intend to _be_ back."

The ellon's spirits dropped. "You're going off again? Where to now?"

"Esgaroth. I need to see what I can do about the dwarf-orc situation I sent there."

Falluen shook his head. "I don't know. It's against the law to leave."

Gilrael stroked Ruinil's mane. "Doesn't matter, when it's against the _moral_ law to allow people to die. I only came to switch horses. I don't want to work Ruinil too hard."

She closed the gate to the horse's stall, then took out a chestnut stallion, rippling with muscles, and eager to get running.

"Turoch will do nicely."

Gilrael mounted the horse, and smiled at Falluen. "Thanks for everything, mellon."

The ellon sighed. "But at the end of all this, you'll owe me at least four favors."

"Four?"

"That lecture counts double."

A short while later, Gilrael rode hard towards Laketown. The path around the lake was longer, but she would lose her cover of secrecy if she rode up in a boat.

Night had fallen by the time she galloped on the bridge and entered Esgaroth. After telling Turoch to stay, she ran through the streets, looking for signs of the dwarves.

But Gilrael quickly detected the orcs prowling the town on the roofs. She caught the glint of metal, and heard the soft scraping as they climbed. It was clear where they were going. The one house in the center of their attentions, the point where the orcs' surrounding circle grew smaller and smaller with each advance.

The elleth sprinted towards this house and climbed the steps up to it. She shot an arrow through an orc's head as it was about to crash open the door, then glanced up at the roof. Many more were on it.

Gilrael quickly drew her hood, then swiftly climbed onto the roof, and drew her double swords as some orcs rushed towards her. They were no match for the warrior who had been trained by their master.

Still, there were many of them, and while reinforcements swarmed closer, Gilrael sheathed her swords and jumped through the hole in the roof that an orc had clawed through, landing in a crouch on a wooden table. Her eyes scanned the environment quickly and accurately.

Three children, a boy and two girls. The boy was fighting as best as he could, if it could be called that, and the girls were screaming and crying underneath a table. There were a couple dwarves, doing most of the fighting, and Kili was on a bed, grimacing in pain.

Gilrael knocked an orc away from her with her bow, then drew her knives. She sliced her way to Kili, and kicked away an orc about to stab the dwarf.

"I could have killed him!" he protested.

Gilrael snorted and twirled around suddenly, slashing two orcs down their stomachs. "And risk infecting your wound with orc blood. Lay still, Master Dwarf. It's the best, argh, for, ugh, you."

The elleth wrestled with an orc, and finally ducked under its grip and stabbed it from behind.

After a short while, it seemed that the number of orcs had suddenly thinned. Gilrael heard an order from outside.

"Ekinskeld. Obguranid! Gur! Arangim!"

The warrior threw a knife through the head of a lingering orc, frowning. Oakenshield was gone, and the orcs were going to regroup at the bridge. That's why they had left so quickly. They wanted to get to Thorin.

Gilrael turned around, and quickly wiped off her knives as the boy looked around in amazement. "You killed them all!"

The elleth shook her head. "Not all. Many escaped." She sheathed her knives and looked at him sharply.

"Answer quickly and truthfully. What's your name?"

"Bain, my lady. These are my sisters, Sigrid and Tilda."

The younger girl sobbed, and her older sister tried to comfort her, but she would not be consoled.

Gilrael pursed her lips. "Bain…your father's name?"

"Da's name is Bard. He's a tradesm-"

"Do you know your most famous ancestor? Name?"

Bain frowned. "You mean Dirion, lord of Dale? He died when Smaug the dragon raided."

Gilrael glanced to the window. Dirion…

"Does your father have a Black Arrow? Few were ever made, but –"

"Yes! He does!" the boy exclaimed. Then he realized he had interrupted, and bowed his head. "I'm sorry, I-"

"It's alright. Where is it?"

Bain took a deep breath. "He keeps it in a secret place. Here, I'll show you where-"

"Just bring it to me, and make sure no one sees you do it!"

The boy nodded, and rushed outside while Gilrael turned as a dwarf examining Kili cried, "We're losing him!"

He looked up at the elleth desperately. "Can you save him?!"

Gilrael pursed his lips. "It is not my duty as a warrior to heal."

"But he's dying!"

A dwarf suddenly burst into the room, a bunch of green herbs in his clutch. Gilrael widened her eyes, and took the leaves.

"Athelas…and fresh ones." She glanced to Kili, who had screamed in agony, then looked back to the leaves, swallowing. "I'll do it."

* * *

Hold him down," Gilrael ordered as she approached Kili with a bowl of water into which she ground the leaves. He was laying on a table, and was writhing in pain. She examined the wound, and seeing how black and festered it was, she closed her eyes slowly.

What would happen if a warrior like her attempted to heal a wound like this? She was not a healer. But it was life or death, and she would try to push away her hatred of dwarves and remember what Arwen had taught her once, long ago.

As the others looked on, Gilrael began chanting the Elvish words that Arwen had spent so much time getting her to memorize. While she was chanting, she kneaded the soaked Kingsfoil in her hand, then pressed it to Kili's wound.

"Menno o nin na hon i eliad annen annin, hon leitho o ngurth."

Kili screamed and thrashed in pain, and Sigrid jumped in to help hold him down. She called her sister to come help as well. "Tilda!"

After a few times of chanting, Gilrael clenched her teeth, and stopped. But she pressed her hands harder on the wound, and poured her soul into healing him. Kili.

Soon, she could feel strength entering him, but a great flash pierced her head, and she shouted in pain.

" _Smaug's time is almost over. He is coming towards you. Meanwhile, Azog is leading my armies to the Mountain," he whispered. "The dwarves from the Iron Hills will come, as will the Men."_

"What do you mean?" Gilrael cried out.

" _Your job is to bring the elven army before the Mountain. We will slaughter them all, Dwarves, Men, and Elves. Do you understand your task?"_

"Sauron, I will never-"

" _Good."_

Gilrael screamed, and took a shaky step back, panting and yelling. Sigrid, with Tilda's help, bound Kili's leg while everyone else tried to calm Gilrael.

"Shh, you did it!"

"My lady!"

"You're fine!"

But she kept screaming, and backing up to the wall.

The dwarves exchanged worried glances.

"What is wrong with her?"

"Don't know. Elves are hard to understand."

Gilrael laid a hand to her forehead as she slid to the floor. Her quiver pressed against her back, but she didn't care.

How had she let this happen? How hadn't she foreseen the plan? Sauron said Smaug's time was almost over. If the dragon was dead, surely Thorin would send for his cousin, Dain, who would come with an army of dwarves from the Iron Hills. And, since Gilrael knew Thranduil so well, the king would march to the Mountain with the elves, whether she urged him to or not.

The elleth covered her face with her hands. Sauron was cunning. He had organized it so that the massive army of orcs and goblins would surround the elves, dwarves, and men, and would slowly kill them all. Even if Gilrael disobeyed his orders to persuade Thranduil to go quickly, the plan would still hold. There was no way out. Nothing she could do.

Or was there? Gilrael slowly lowered her hands. Only one group could save them: the Eagles. If she could get to them in time and convince them to come and fight, they might have a chance.

The elleth sprang to her feet, energized and alert. The others stared at her.

"A-are you alright?" Sigrid asked cautiously.

"Bain, you have the arrow?"

The boy nodded, pointing to it on the side.

"You must get it to your father, understand?"

Bain swallowed. "D-da's in jail. He was captured."

Gilrael picked up her bow. "Just get the arrow to him! It's vital to your lives."

A dwarf frowned. "Are you leaving?"

The elleth nodded. "I have urgent business. Kili should be healing very quickly. Be careful, all of you. Stick together."

With those final words, Gilrael swept out of the room, and sprinted through the dark, empty streets to Turoch, which she mounted and started galloping hard. She would ride as long and fast as possible, and hopefully the Eagles would agree to fly to the Mountain. They were the only ones who could turn the tide of the impeding battle to come.


	12. Chapter 11: A Step into Tauriel's Past

Tauriel glanced at Legolas through her peripheral vision as they hiked through the woods. With the stress of impeding danger and the emotions relating to the cave, it was the first time she had been nervous around him.

She had always thought of him as a brother, dependable and caring, and she had never kept anything from him except this. Her cave, and her past before she met him.

He had saved her life before he had even known who she was. He had given her a home in the Woodland Realm, a family. Tauriel appreciated all he did for her more than he knew, because he did not know how many years she had spent in that cave alone, worrying, and he did not know what it felt like to grow up without any company except her knives. That was about to change.

"L-Legolas? I need to tell you something."

Immediately his light blue eyes focused on her. "Of course, Tauriel."

She pursed her lips. "I-it's about my past. Before you met me."

"Do you want to stop?"

Tauriel shook her head. "We need to keep moving. I fear what will happen if we are too late."

She took a deep breath. "I do not remember my mother. My earliest memory is learning how to walk, alone. No parents, no siblings. It was in that cave. For a few years as a tiny elfling, Ada would spend the days with me, playing and teaching. He would put me to sleep, but in the nights, I knew he left. Once, I woke up after a nightmare, and no one was in the cave."

Legolas frowned, deeply concerned, but Tauriel pursed her lips and continued. "When I was old enough to take care of myself, Ada gave me my knives. He said they were my mother's, which she wanted me to have. He taught me a few things for a couple of weeks, but gradually, when I woke up in the morning he was gone. He would return in the evening to teach me more techniques for the knives, and tuck me in bed.

"While I waited for him, I practiced with my knives, and read. There was a cabinet full of lembas bread which I ate when I was hungry, and a river next to the cave from which I drank from, but I ate nothing else.

"Eventually his visits became rarer, until days went by without me seeing him. You say that I have a strong spirit. That spirit might have saved my life, for I often wanted t-to venture out of the cave, and face whatever may come my way, death or capture. Well, weeks went by without me seeing a soul. I looked at the pictures in my locket frequently, wondering if I would ever meet them again.

"It turned out I did. Ada came home one night, all cut up, bruised, and bloody. I was terrified, and even when he was cleaned up I refused to acknowledge him. He told me he was sorry for how I was forced to grow up, but told me it was the best option he had. H-he also told me that my brother, Valluen, was looking out for me though I didn't know it. I didn't believe him, until today, and in my heart I knew Valluen was out there somewhere, and I needed to find him.

"Anyways, Ada was gone the next the morning, and that was the last time I ever saw him, because as you know, he died in a war. I spent a few more weeks in the cave when the lembas bread started to run out, and I decided it was best for me to start out on my own, see where my path would lead me. I packed the remainder of the bread, some water, and a few of my things, like my knives and a map. I made it as far as Mirkwood, though it was then called the Greenwood, and that is where Roquen found me. After that, you know what happened."

"Hmm, Roquen, the corrupted ellon who spent part of Gilrael's captivity with her before she escaped from evil," Legolas recalled. "I had forgotten about him."

Tauriel pursed her lips. "You won't before long. Gilrael told me he's been elevated to the chief general of Mordor, which means he's the one commanding all the orcs and goblins right now. We'll face him soon."

Legolas nodded. "I hope not _too_ soon. So, you think the main purpose of the clues is to find Valluen?"

Tauriel looked determinedly in front of her. "I don't _think_ , I _know_."

"Then why didn't he ever reveal himself to you? Why did he never come to you?"

Tauriel exhaled. "I hope when we find him, he will explain. Look, the border."

They had reached the edge of Mirkwood.

* * *

 _A few hours later…_

"We're very close. Do you see that hill?"

Legolas peered into the distance. "Yes, with the cliff and a couple boulders. Leads up to higher lands. Oh, and I see the stream."

Tauriel raised an eyebrow. "You have good sight. I can only see the hill."

Legolas smiled. "Benefits of being the best archer in Middle Earth."

"You don't know that!"

"I'll keep the title until someone proves me wrong."

Tauriel smiled back, then started running. "Last one to the cliff is-"

"The last one to the cliff."

And the Sinda took off, passing the elleth while she followed, laughing. This was one reason why she preferred Legolas' company over Gilrael's. The prince was cheerful and playful, while Gilrael was thoughtful at best, and solemn most of the time.

Legolas, of course, arrived at the hill first, waiting with a bored expression on his face as he stroked his bow.

"What took you so long?"

Tauriel punched his arm playfully. "Only a few seconds slower. For an archer, you run fast."

Legolas smiled, then grew serious as he scanned the cliff. "I see boulders and ledges, but no cave. How do you get in?"

Tauriel swiftly jumped onto a familiar rock. The many centuries that had gone by did little to change the path, and she was about to step forward when Legolas touched her arm, perched on an adjacent rock.

"Wait, let me go first. This ground is damp. There may be tracks."

 _Smart._

The Sinda stepped onto a ledge, and gave a cry. "These footprints match mine exactly!"

Tauriel followed behind, and frowned. It was as if Legolas had been there before.

"It must be Valluen! He was here!"

"And recently," Legolas added. "It rained two nights ago and it hasn't rained since. How do we get in?"

"Continue, and I'll show you."

The elves delicately followed the tiny path, until Tauriel pointed up. "There. We climb up the rocks, and slide that boulder away. Then we crawl inside."

She nimbly ascended, and pushed aside the medium sized boulder. It was not very heavy, and her elfling self could easily move it.

Tauriel crawled inside while Legolas followed, and she widened her eyes in surprise. It was as if she had never left.

The elleth stood as Legolas rolled the boulder back and took in the cave. "It's...huge. I didn't expect it to be this big."

Tauriel slowly turned around, gazing at everything. There was the bed, neatly made as usual. The shelves, filled to the brim with books. The cabinets, which she knew contained dishes and towels and blankets. The chest, with old maps and things from her parents. And the wooden table, with –

"A note, from Valluen, it seems," Legolas told her as he handed her the piece of paper.

Tauriel frowned, and took it. It was hurriedly written, and read:

 _Whatever you do, do not travel at night! It's very dangerous, and I don't want you getting hurt. Stay here, until_

The elleth looked up at Legolas. "So we're supposed to stay here until, when? Morning?"

The prince shrugged. "Seems like it. If you don't mind, of course," he quickly added. "This place might bring bad memories for you."

Tauriel smiled. "I will make good ones, with you. Come, I will show you some books, and these things in the chest."

So they sat on the bed and looked through the books. Night had fallen by the time they were finished, and Legolas said, "Is there a torch? Candle?"

Tauriel moved to a cabinet, where she pulled a lamp out. Legolas promptly lit it, and the light gave the cave a warm, cozy feeling.

The elleth sighed happily. "It feels very different with you here, Legolas. I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done for me."

The prince smiled. "Bringing people comfort and joy is a hobby of mine. Mind if I read this?"

He had brought out a bunch of papers from the chest, and Tauriel nodded. "I could never make any sense of it."

Legolas looked it over, frowning.

"What's wrong?"

The Sinda glanced at her. "It's in Black Speech. I can't understand it, but I can translate the letters into Sindarin. The names Azog and Valluen is repeated often."

"Azog?" Tauriel whispered. "What could he be doing with Valluen?"

Legolas looked through the papers. "I don't know. But whatever it is, it's long. Enough for a stack."

He arranged them into a neat pile, then placed it back into the chest. "We'll have to come back later and have Gilrael read through them. In the meantime, I'm going to read that book about Gundabad."

While Legolas read, Tauriel had plenty of time to think. Azog…and Valluen. Had her brother been captured by the pale orc? No, it couldn't be. How else could he have been to the cave so recently? Then was Valluen corrupted, somehow? Like Gilrael was, and Roquen? But that wouldn't explain his concern for her, and for the safety of Middle Earth.

 _You must heed this, to save the lives of many!_

So was he under some sort of spell, maybe? Sometimes good and sometimes bad? Tauriel was almost certain. It would explain why he was eager to help her, and help as many people as he could. It would also explain why those papers talked about him and Azog, and why he couldn't show himself to her for fear of the orc finding out.

Tauriel sighed, and leaned in close to Legolas. "What are you doing?"

The Sinda was marking and circling letters, turning the book upside down and back again.

"It seems there's some sort of code here. Look. These lines and circles make a symbol. The letter 'I'."

Legolas frowned, and started frantically working. Tauriel watched him anxiously, and after a few minutes, the Sinda held up a piece of paper, on which he had scribbled, ' _I am Azog_.'

"The code I used was one that Gilrael taught me. She said it was a common one that orcs used to conceal their messages, only this one translated into Sindarin, not Black Speech."

Tauriel frowned. "T-that's Valluen's handwriting. The same from the papers in the chest, and the note on the table, and the note from so long ago."

Legolas glanced at her sharply. "The note! Do you have it?"

The elleth nodded, and handed it to him. "Hmm, it was signed, 'A.T.B.' I think I know what it means."

Tauriel widened her eyes. "You don't mean-"

"Azog, Tauriel's Brother," Legolas finished. "Azog the Defiler is your brother. Valluen."

 **A/N: Soooo. What do you think? I kept on noticing how Azog's piercing blue eyes are so similar to Legolas', and my imagination went wild. So yeah, Azog is Valluen, who is Tauriel's brother, and Tauriel is Legolas' cousin. Her father Luinil is Thranduil's little brother. I'd love to hear your thoughts!**

 **If you would like to read the part where Tauriel meets Legolas for the first time, please take a look at my first book, _The Elven Huntress_. **

**Thanks for reading!**


	13. Chapter 12: Arrival at Dale

Who could imagine a beast so deadly? So impossible to kill? Yet slain it was, and Falluen could hardly believe his eyes. For he had watched, from the highest part of the Woodland Realm, the dragon Smaug fall from the sky, his golden scales falling as he tumbled to his watery grave.

Firlowen suddenly ran up to him, looking distraught and stressed. "Falluen, I am at my wits end with what to do!"

"Well, your braids certainly show that," he remarked.

The messenger widened his eyes. "Really?" Frantically, he tried fixing his hair while Falluen shook his head.

"You need a brush and a mirror. But that's not important. What is it?"

Firlowen pursed his lips. "The dragon is dead. Assuming they got there, the dwarves will be in the Mountain, which is now unprotected. The people of Laketown will go to the Mountain for shelter, maybe get their share of the gold, but I don't think those stubborn dwarves will be happy about that. And Thranduil wants me to tell the troops to muster, but it will be terrible if I do! It will mean war, war between Dwarves, Men, and Elves."

"And Orcs," Falluen added. "Gilrael thought-"

"Gilrael, yes, exactly!" the messenger wailed. "She ordered me not to let the king go to war if he wanted to save elven blood, but he will not listen to me!"

Falluen frowned. "She told me something like that too. What would you have me do? Speak to Thranduil?"

Firlowen shook his head. "No, that won't help. I need your advice!"

The ellon crossed his arms. Years of being the general of the elven spearmen had taught him a few useful things.

"Gather the troops. It can't be helped if the king orders it, but I will ride to Laketown, meet up with them, and try to prevent war from that side. You will do the same with Thranduil?"

Firlowen nodded. "I will. I don't think it will be of any use, but I will try. You will go immediately?"

Falluen ran down the hill. "Yes."

* * *

"Tauriel, it's nearly dawn. I suggest we set out. No good can be done here."

The elleth had spent the whole night crying and agonizing over the matter of her brother. Azog! To think her very own kin was, with the help of Sauron, responsible for Gilrael's tortured, corrupted life, and the corruption and deaths of countless others! How had he done such things, yet still sent her such good-hearted notes?

"Tauriel, you have thought the same things for hours. We must continue."

She wiped her eyes and slowly rose to her feet. "How? We do not know where to go."

Legolas held up a slip of paper. "In front of the boulder when I checked. Laid there all night."

Tauriel snatched the paper from him, and read quickly.

 _Wear your hoods at all times, especially Legolas. Travel swiftly and secretly, only during the day. Always stop at night. Head to the outcropping in front of Gundabad. Get there in two days, and be there as night falls._

She sighed, picking up her bow. "Well, I guess we'll go."

Before she ducked to leave, however, Legolas laid a hand on her arm. His eyes were wide and a warm shade of sky blue, shining with care.

"Do not jump to conclusions before you know the whole story."

Tauriel pulled away from him and rolled open the boulder. "How clearer can it get? My brother is Azog, and the only reason why I'm following the instructions in his letters is because I have some hope that I'll be able to save some people."

She refused to speak to or even look at Legolas while they ran swiftly north through the plains. If she took a peek into those eyes, she would burst in tears and hug him tightly. That was not an option. Too often she felt ages younger than him. She would not act like an elfling, even in those dark times.

* * *

Falluen rode hard, and met the people as they travelled slowly to Dale. The people gave the elven lord some looks, but they were all weary and burdened with the ruin of their town.

He slowed his horse as he neared the front, and called, "Who is the leader here?"

A man whose noble face was stained with ash and hardened with suffering urged his horse forward, and nodded. "I am. Who is asking?"

Falluen steadied his horse. "Lord of the Woodland Realm. Second heir to the throne. Bard?"

The man frowned. "You know me?"

The ellon gazed at him steadily. "A friend of mine knows you."

"What do you want here?"

Falluen stared at him. "My lord Thranduil is mustering the army. He is preparing for war."

"War?"

"Indeed. I come to do my best to prevent a war, from this side."

Bard bowed his head graciously. "We appreciate all help. You are very welcome here, my lord."

"Falluen," he replied. "Just Falluen, if you please."

* * *

As they ran, Legolas watched Tauriel with worry. It was clear she was struggling not to cry, and that the sudden news about her brother was tearing her apart.

Finally, he couldn't bear it any longer. Grabbing her shoulders, he stopped her.

"Tauriel, listen to me. You cannot let this affect you so much!"

She yanked away from him, the tears now freely falling. "Oh really? You have no idea what I'm feeling right now!"

Legolas glared at her. "You think I don't? Can you imagine what I felt when Gilrael, my closest friend who was dearer to me than a sister, was taken away, and I thought she was cruelly murdered by orcs? Can you imagine what I felt when I found that she was alive, but corrupted into a horrible, mangled beast of an elleth? It took me millennia to get her to become the Elf she once was, but even now she kills too quickly without caring. So yes, I do know what you're feeling, and I'm trying to help you! I want to be the friend for you that I never had."

He rarely got this worked up, but he loved Tauriel. She was his cousin, but she was more than that. He didn't want to see her suffer.

Tauriel sniffed up her tears and marched resolutely on. "Well, then you know how impossible it is for me to simply 'not let it affect me.'"

Legolas watched her helplessly. "Tauriel!"

"Are you coming or not?"

The Sinda shook his head. That fiery spirit could be both good and bad.

* * *

Falluen walked through the streets of Dale, helping people get settled and making sure everyone was warm enough. When he had done everything he could, he met Bard coming out from behind some pillars.

"I wouldn't have Alfrid be on guard duty if I were you," the ellon advised.

Bard shrugged. "He's a greedy man, but he needs something to do. Something harmless."

Falluen raised an eyebrow. "Harmless? These lands are dangerous, and you have _that_ man on watch?"

Bard smiled, passing by. "And you, my friend."

Falluen sighed. He hated night duty.

The next morning, as Bard went to check on Alfrid, Falluen dropped from the roof. "Army of elves. Ask Alfrid," he added. "He should know, since he was 'up all night'."

Bard raised an eyebrow, but continued on.

"Morning, Alfrid. What news from the night watch?"

"All quiet, sire, I must report," the man replied as he yawned. "I was up all night."

"Right..." Bard walked out of the archway, and saw massive, perfectly ordered lines of elves filled the courtyard.

"You saw these elves, no doubt?"

Alfrid rubbed his eyes. "I…they…they were so quiet!"

The people of Laketown began coming out of their buildings and saw the elves. Bard walked down the steps and approached the elves, some lines of which turned and stepped back to make a pathway for Bard. As he exited out the bank of elves, Thranduil rode up on his elk, and all the elves turned to face him.

Bard said, "My lord Thranduil, we did not look to see you here."

"I heard you needed aid," he replied in a flat voice.

Thranduil turned and looked at a wagon that was pulling up, loaded with food and drink for the people. The people of Laketown smiled and cheered, and began unloading the cart with the elves' help. Bard approached Thranduil gratefully.

"You have saved us! I do not how to thank you."

Thranduil coldly said, "Your gratitude is misplaced. I did not come on your behalf." He paused. "I came to reclaim something of mine."

The king turned his elk around. "And I need to speak with you, young man," he called back in Sindarin to Falluen, who had edged through the army to the front.

The ellon swallowed, and ran next to the king.

"Where is your horse? You look like a fool."

Falluen had to half run, half walk to keep up with the elk. "It's grazing, my lord."

"Oh, so it's 'my lord' now, is it?"

Just then, an elf ran up, bowing. "Firlowen is on his way."

Thranduil nodded. "Thank you. And get Falluen's horse. I can't have an elven horse wandering around these Men."

The elf bowed, and hurried away.

The king slid off the elk and handed it to a keeper. "Come with me."

Falluen followed him to an overlook of the valley in front of the mountain. The king clasped his hands together, and stared ahead.

"Why did you leave without my permission?" he finally asked.

"Why do I have to _ask_ your permission? I'm not an elfling!"

Thranduil glanced at him. "Falluen, I only want to make sure you are safe. The lands are dangerous-"

"And you think I can't protect myself?" the ellon demanded angrily. "What's all my training for, then? If I'm only to be holed up in the palace like a maid. I'm a warrior, Thranduil, not a useless-"

"Falluen!" the king snapped. "I can't have this in my kingdom! First, Tauriel disobeys my orders and leaves. Then my stupid son goes after her. Then Gilrael takes the opportunity to sneak off to who-knows-where. And now you? Has all I've taught you gone through your head?"

Falluen glared at him with his arms crossed. "Maybe it's because you've trapped all of us in the palace for all our lives. It's a wonder Gilrael managed to survive on her own."

Firlowen ran up. "Hir…nin." His face fell.

Thranduil turned to him. "Did you know the four most important elves in the kingdom left? Did you keep quiet?"

The messenger blinked. "I, uh, they told me not to tell you anything."

"AND YOU LISTENED TO THEM?"

Firlowen flinched. "I…didn't see the harm."

"The harm? The _harm_? You didn't see the harm in alerting me of the captain of the guard's disappearance? You didn't see the harm in not telling me where my _own son_ went? You didn't see the harm in letting my right-hand lieutenant wander off? You didn't see the harm in allowing the second heir to the throne walk into dangerous lands? I should dismiss you, Firlowen, at the very least!"

"It's not his fault," Falluen protested. "If anyone, you should blame either Legolas or Gilrael. They gave us orders not to tell you. As the prince and-"

"For your information, I am the KING!"

Both ellons winced.

"You listen to MY commands over ANYONE else's, understand?"

Suddenly, Bard ran up to them, but he started back away when he saw they were busy.

Thranduil hissed in Sindarin, "We will speak more of this after the battle." He cleared his throat, and turned to the man, speaking in the Common Language.

"Yes?"

Bard frowned, but asked, "You would go to war over a handful of gems?"

Thranduil turned his head. "The heirlooms of my people are not lightly forsaken."

"We are allies in this. My people also have a claim upon the riches in that mountain! Let me speak with Thorin!"

Thranduil exhaled. "You would try to reason with a dwarf?"

Bard nodded desperately. "To avoid war? Yes!"

The king turned back to the two young elves. "By all means, try. But you will fail."

Bard glanced hopefully at Falluen and Firlowen, but they shook their heads in sync. The man pursed his lips, and walked back slowly.

Thranduil gave the elves one of his sternest looks. "I can only hope that the other three will return. And when they do, we're going to have a very, very serious talk."

The ellons swallowed.

* * *

Shortly later, Thranduil met Bard returning.

"Well?"

The man was dejected. "He will give us nothing."

"Hmm. Such a pity. Still, you tried."

Bard shook his head. "I do not understand. Why? Why would he risk war?"

They looked back toward the Mountain in time to see the dwarves dislodge the head of one of the massive stone statues, causing it to fall and break the raised bridge to the gate, thus disabling any attackers from approaching the gates.

Thranduil stared ahead. "It is fruitless to reason with them. They understand only one thing."

He slowly slid out his sword and gazed at it as he turned his elk around. "We attack at dawn. Are you with us?"

* * *

"…so you see, Lord Gwaihir, why your support is absolutely necessary to win the battle."

Gilrael stood on top of the Great Eagles' eyrie to the east of the Misty Mountains. A bitter wind swept through her hair, but she did not feel the cold.

The Lord of the Eagles adjusted his feathers. "The goblins would win without our intervention?"

"Most certainly, my lord," she replied. "King Thranduil's forces, even combined with the dwarves', will not be able to defeat Azog's troops. You are our only hope."

Lord Gwaihir leaned back, gazing at his brethren. "Well, what say you? Shall we listen to this maiden?"


	14. Chapter 13: Hope in the Shadows

By the time the two elves reached Gundabad, Tauriel was nearly in shreds. What would she discover? A horrible mutant of a brother?

"Tauriel?" Legolas asked doubtfully. "Are you sure you can handle this?"

She grit her teeth. "Of course I can. Do you know your way around here?"

Legolas jumped deftly onto rocks and cliffs. "Gilrael took me here, once, long ago. Never at night, though. She said it was too dangerous."

Tauriel leaped after him. "I wonder why… _he_ told us to get here by nightfall."

The Sinda stopped at a high outcropping, and lowered himself into a crouch, peeking above the rocks. "That, we'll have to find out. There it is."

Tauriel crouched down next to him, nearly choking at what she saw. The land was dark and desolate, and the black gates stood between two mountains like a threatening mouth of a monster. The elleth shuddered at this taste of Mordor, and marveled at how Gilrael could have ever survived it.

Suddenly, massive bats began screeching and flapping rapidly overhead. Tauriel flinched. "They're swarming."

Legolas shook his head. "These bats are bred for one purpose."

Tauriel looked at him. "For what?"

"For war."

Both elves suddenly leaped up as a rock was disrupted. The figure was dressed all in black, lithe and thin, whose hood covered his face.

Tauriel gasped. "Valluen…"

The ellon whipped off his hood, his dark hair sweeping over his handsome, determined face as he stared at them with icy blue eyes.

"I am glad you made it." He spoke in a low tone, and bowed to Legolas, who crossed his arms. "Don't be ridiculous."

Valluen quickly turned to his sister, and his hardened face softened as he took her hands into his. She didn't try to remove them.

"Idon'thavemuchtimebutIwantyoutoknowthateverythingI'vedonewasn' ."

Tauriel blinked. "So…you don't have much time…and what?"

Valluen squeezed her hands tighter. "All the crimes that the horrible Azog did was not me. I am continuously disgusted at my evil self, a corrupted version of me."

Tauriel frowned. "But how did it happen?"

Valluen shook his head. "I can't explain, I don't have time! Please forgive me, Tauriel. Do you forgive me? Do you trust me? I did all of this for you!"

The elleth knit her eyebrows. "I can't say. I don't understand. But of course I-I love you, Valluen. My brother."

The ellon looked relieved, and he stepped back. "Thank you, Tauriel. Thank you. Have Gilrael read the papers in the trunk for you."

He turned to the Sinda, who had stood watching quietly. "I don't know how to thank you, cousin. But without you, what I've done to Gilrael…" He shook his head. "She didn't deserve it. She was a sweet soul."

Legolas clenched his fists. "So _you_ did that to her."

Valluen was nearly jumping in frustration. "No time, no time! I'm sorry, I really am. Oh, the papers will explain. Gilrael-"

"You're not worthy to even _mention_ her name!" Legolas glared at him.

Valluen stepped back, drawing his hood. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "Go, hurry, warn the others. A horse will meet you at the bottom."

Then he turned and disappeared into the darkness, faster before Tauriel could blink.

"What? He's…gone?"

Legolas crouched down and looked over the rocks. "Look."

Tauriel lowered herself next to him, and widened her eyes.

A figure rode out on a Warg, Bolg, dressed for battle. He raised his mace and shouted out a command. Trumpets sounded, and the gates in the bottom of the fortress opened, releasing rank upon rank of massive orcs, each with a giant spear at least three times longer than the orcs' height.

The massive company began marching away, with the bats following and wheeling overhead.

Tauriel pursed her lips. "That's what Valluen wanted us to warn the others about."

Legolas jumped to his feet. "Yes. He also gave us a horse. Which also," he added as they scrambled down the cliff, "means he's not evil. He's as much of an Eldar as I am."

"Then what's wrong with him?" Tauriel protested. "Why was he also Azog? And why does he never have time?"

The Sinda shook his head. "Gilrael will have to read those papers."

* * *

Falluen and Firlowen stood side by side leaning against a doorway along the streets, their arms crossed while they glared at nowhere in particular.

"What're we supposed to do now?" the messenger asked. "Fight? Obey Thranduil?"

Falluen huffed. "I don't want to. But it's the only thing we can do. I hope Gilrael understands."

"She won't," Firlowen muttered. "We'll probably get a lecture from the king _and_ from her. I can't wait."

Suddenly, both elves looked up as a grey, cloaked figure galloped into town on his horse, crying, "Let me through! Make way!"

The ellons exchanged excited glances, and rushed forward. The man dismounted and looked surprised to see men drilling with swords, companies of elves marching by, and two young ellons sprinting towards him.

"Mithrandir, Mithrandir!"

The wizard waved his staff in front of him. "Easy, you two. You're not elflings anymore, unlike the twins. And shouldn't you be sending messages, Firlowen?"

The ellon blinked. "O-oh, yes, right." He grabbed his bow and dashed off.

Falluen smiled. "Ed anaië lû dîr."

Mithrandir smiled back. "Yes, a long time indeed. Oh! Who's this?"

Alfrid sauntered up to him, very upset. "No, no, NO! Oi! Pointy hat! We don't want no tramps, beggars nor vagabonds around here. We got enough trouble without the likes of you. Off you go! On your horse."

Mithrandir narrowed his eyes. "Who's in charge here?"

Bard stepped in front of Alfrid. "Who is asking?"

Falluen stepped up next to the wizard. "This is Mith-, that is, Gandalf the Grey, a wizard who is a member of the White Council. He is a friend, and ally. Tolo, Mithrandir. Nin nauva tog tyë na Thranduil."

True to his word, Falluen brought both Gandalf and Bard into Thranduil's tent. It was yellow-golden, with flags on the outside and two, silver-armed guards at the entrance. Inside were bronze braziers flickering with fire, and torches all around. Tapestries hung on the walls, and a throne was at the far end of the tent, with animal skin blankets draped on it. The floor was covered in soft furs.

After they arrived, Falluen quickly dashed out, lest Thranduil find something else wrong with his presence there. The last thing he wanted was to be sent back to the palace.

* * *

Thranduil stood with his hands clasped in front of him, as Gandalf passionately told him, "You must set aside your petty grievances with the dwarves. War is coming! The cesspits of Dol Guldur have been emptied. You're ALL in mortal danger!"

Bard frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Thranduil dramatically sighed as he walked over to a side table to pour some wine. "I can see you know nothing of wizards. They are like winter thunder on a wild wind rolling in from a distance, breaking hard in alarm. But sometimes, a storm is just a storm." He gave the glass of wine to Gandalf, who took it and held it in his hands.

Gandalf shook his head. "Not this time. Armies of orcs are on the move. And these are fighters! They have been bred for war. Our enemy has summoned his full strength!"

"I know what the armies of orcs look like!" snapped Thranduil. He more calmly asked, "Why show his hand now?"

Gandalf cried, "Because we forced him! We forced him when the company of Thorin Oakenshield set out to reclaim their homeland. The dwarves were never meant to reach Erebor; Azog the Defiler was sent to kill them. His master seeks control of the mountain. Not just for the treasure within, but for where it lies, its strategic position."

As the wizard talked, they left the tent and walked outside to a spot from where they could clearly see the gates of Erebor.

Gandalf said, "This is the gateway to reclaiming the lands of Angmar in the north. If that fell kingdom should rise again, Rivendell, Lothlorien, the Shire, even Gondor itself will fall!"

Thranduil glanced at him. "These orc armies you speak of, Mithrandir - Where are they?"

They walked back into the tent as Gandalf frowned. "How am I supposed to know? They're trying to be secret, and they're doing a good job of it!"

"Gilrael would know," Thranduil muttered.

The wizard lit up. "Yes, exactly! Where is she?"

" _Falluen_ let her run off without my knowledge."

"If it helps," Bard spoke up, "she was in Lake Town the night before Smaug came. She saved the lives of my children from a sudden orc attack."

"That was meant to find Thorin!" Gandalf exclaimed.

Thranduil frowned. "But where is she now? She knows we need her help!"

"We must trust that she is doing something more important," Gandalf urged.

Thranduil raised an eyebrow. "I really don't know what to think of you."

"Since when has my council counted for so little?" the wizard protested. "What do you think I'm trying to do?!"

"I think you're trying to save your dwarvish friends," said Thranduil calmly. "And I admire your loyalty to them, but it does not dissuade me from my course. You started this, Mithrandir. You will forgive me if I finish it."

The king walked past the wizard and exited the tent. He called to a guard, "Are the archers in position?"

"Yes my Lord."

Thranduil said, "Give the order. If anything moves on that mountain - kill it. The dwarves," he announced, "are out of time."

Outside the tent, Gandalf asked Bard, "You, Bowman! Do you agree with this? Is gold so important to you? Would you buy it with the blood of dwarves?"

Bard firmly said, "It will not come to that. This is a fight they cannot win."

Suddenly, the halfling Bilbo appeared, out of breath. "That won't stop them. You think the dwarves will surrender…they won't. They will fight to the death to defend their own."

Gandalf exclaimed with surprise, "Bilbo Baggins! What in the world are doing here? 'Fight to the death to defend their own' means killing you if they find out you have deserted them!"

Bilbo frowned. "I _haven't_ deserted them. I'm _trying_ to help them! And if you _let_ me speak to the king, I might actually succeed!"

The wizard blinked, but Bard held open the tent flap. "The come in, brave hobbit."

Thranduil was sitting on the throne in the regal position he was known for. He frowned. "Is this the Halfling who stole the keys to my dungeons from under the nose of my guards?"

Bilbo looked down, extremely uncomfortable. "Oh, um, yes. Sorry about that."

Thranduil raised a hand, and an elf from outside stepped in. "Hir nin?"

"Get Falluen, please," he requested in Sindarin. "I don't know where my _messenger_ is, so I apologize that you have to serve as one."

The guard bowed. "Yes, my lord." Then he hurried out.

There was a silence for a while, when finally Bilbo stepped forward and put a wrapped package on the table. "I came...to give you this." He unwrapped the package to reveal a sparkling stone, shimmering with many radiant colors.

Thranduil rose in surprise. "The heart of the mountain! The King's Jewel."

Gandalf and Bard approached it in awe.

The man nodded. "And worth a king's ransom." He looked at Bilbo. "How is this yours to give?"

The hobbit simply declared, "I took it as my fourteenth share of the treasure."

Gandalf smiled slightly.

Bard shook his head, mystified. "Why would you do this? You owe us no loyalty."

Bilbo smiled. "Oh, no, I'm not doing it for you." Silence.

He continued, "I know that dwarves can be obstinate and pigheaded and difficult, suspicious and secretive…with the worst manners you can possibly imagine, but they also brave and kind, and loyal to a fault. I've grown very fond of them, and I would save them if I can."

Gandalf smiled. It was touching how the hobbit put his words.

Bilbo finished, "Now, Thorin values this stone above all else. In exchange for its return, I believe he will give you what you are owed. There will be no need for war!"

Falluen slowly looked in. "My lord?"

Thranduil spread his arms out. "Well, I wish everyone a good night. We go to the mountain at dawn."

As they shuffled out, Falluen shuffled in. "Yes?"

"Did you know about the escape of the dwarves?"

Falluen shook his head vigorously. "I assure you, I did not. Everything was chaos, Tauriel and the guards, but I don't know. Gilrael might have slipped in between."

"Gilrael?! What is that elleth doing!"

Falluen pursed his lips. "I have no idea, my lord. Is that all?"

"Why the rush?"

"I, uh, need to, um-"

"Oh, just go," Thranduil conceded, waving a hand. "But make sure Firlowen comes back. What's the point of having a messenger if he's always absent?"


	15. Chapter 14: Battle of the Five Armies

It was one of the worst battles Falluen had ever fought in. His attitude of the previous day had morphed into hardened concentration as he focused on the head general's, Arkanil, orders and wished Gilrael was there instead.

True, she hardly ever smiled except out of sarcasm, and laughter was even rarer, but she led the troops with a skill that was only possible for one who had fought in the enemies' armies for so long. Arkanil was a good general, but he was not Gilrael.

Falluen fired arrow after arrow at the bats swarming overhead, trodding down orcs with his horse as he slashed beneath him.

But suddenly, he was cut off from his rhythm as the sound of a horn caused him to look up. Azog the Defiler stood on a hilltop, yelling orders. Falluen's eyes snapped to where a legion of orcs marched toward Dale.

He widened his eyes, and swiftly maneuvered his horse near Bard. "Azog! He's trying to cut us off! Go to the city now!" The man nodded and yelled at the Lakepeople. Gandalf and Bilbo also went with him.

Falluen saw Thranduil head to the city on a bridge after he commanded his soldiers, "Protect the valley and the city!"

The ellon followed right behind him. As the king crossed, his elk trampled many orcs. The elk lowered its horns and speared five orcs at the same time, lifting them up so that Thranduil could behead all of them with one swing of his sword.

As they thundered into the city, the elk was killed by multiple Orc arrows to the chest. As it fell, Thranduil leapt clear and rolled, ducking his head under, just like in training, long ago. He came up from his roll to find himself surrounded by orcs, so he pulled out his two swords and began fighting the orcs. He was soon helped when Falluen galloped in, slipped off his horse, and sliced left and right, and then Firlowen ran up with dozens of elven foot troops.

* * *

Legolas and Tauriel thundered up on Valluen's very exhausted black horse to Gandalf and Bilbo. The Sinda cried, "Mithrandir!"

The wizard looked up in surprise. "Legolas! Legolas Greenleaf."

The ellon urgently warned, "There is a second army! Bolg leads a force of Gundabad orcs. They are almost upon us!" Tauriel could hardly speak.

Gandalf widened his eyes. "Gundabad…This was their plan all along. Azog engages our forces, then Bolg seeps in from the north." The elleth nearly choked at the mention of Azog.

Bilbo twirled around in confusion. "What...the north...where is the north, exactly?"

Gandalf answered, "Ravenhill." He turned and strode over to the parapets to look at the hill.

Bilbo gasped, "Ravenhill…Thorin is up there! And Fili and Kili - they're all up there!"

"He will kill them," Tauriel murmured with grief. "Against his will. What happened to him?"

"Tauriel, you cannot burden yourself-"

"I will think what I think!" the elleth fiercely responded. "You stay out of this, Legolas."

She turned on her heel and ran into the streets.

Gandalf raised an eyebrow, and Legolas dipped his head slightly. "Mithrandir…"

* * *

Falluen walked behind Thranduil as they scanned the city. They looked sadly at all the dead elven bodies. Firlowen came running up.

The king commanded, "Recall your company."

Firlowen nodded, and blew a horn. Dozens of other elves quickly joined them.

Mithrandir came running up to them. "My lord, dispatch this force to Ravenhill! The dwarves are about to be overrun. Thorin must be warned."

Thranduil heartlessly said, "By all means, warn him. I have spent enough Elvish blood in defense of this accursed land - No more!"

He walked away angrily, with his elves behind him.

Mithrandir looked after him helplessly. "Thranduil!"

Falluen frowned. "You cannot do-"

Thranduil snapped, "Shut up!"

Surprised, angered, and hurt, he followed him. As they rounded a bend, to his second surprise he saw Tauriel stand resolutely in front of them. "Ú-vennathog athar. You will not turn away - not this time!"

Thranduil snarled, "Get out of my way!"

"The dwarves, the men, they will all be slaughtered!"

Thranduil said with disgust, "Yes, they will die. Today, tomorrow, one year hence, a hundred years from now - what does it matter? They are mortal." He had slowly been approaching Tauriel as he spoke.

Suddenly, Tauriel whipped out her bow and nocked an arrow, pointing it at Thranduil. "You think your life is worth more than theirs, while there is only selfishness in it? When you care for nothing else but your _kingdom_?"

Thranduil looked at the ground angrily for a moment, then suddenly he pulled out his sword and sliced Tauriel's bow in half. As she dropped it slowly in shock, and tears formed in her eyes, Thranduil lifted the point of his sword to her neck and spoke angrily.

"You speak with the insolence of a child, Tauriel. A _child_. But you are not a child. This is treason."

Suddenly, another sword, Orcrist, was laid atop Thranduil's. Legolas pushed Thranduil's sword away. He defiantly announced, "Cí hen naethathog, oru degithon."

Falluen stepped between the king and his friends. "My lord, you really must calm down."

"There is nothing to be calm about," the king growled. "You _three_ have endangered the kingdom so much that I hardly know what to do about you!"

"There it is again!" Tauriel declared. "It's all about the kingdom. You don't care about us."

"Lucky for Middle Earth Gilrael ignores you and does what is right for _others_ ," said Legolas in a low, deadly calm voice.

"We are willing to sacrifice our lives for the sake of others. Unlike _you_ ," Falluen added.

With that, the three elves turned on their heels and ran into the distance.

Thranduil watched them go with a look of pain and hurt. "Firlowen, what am I to do?"

The messenger nodded. "They will be more reasonable when the battle is over, my lord. Just wait."

The king glanced at him. "Oh, like you're perfectly innocent?"

Firlowen shrugged. "I'm trying to help."

Thranduil heaved a breath. "It's just that I can't afford to see those I love walk into danger…again. Especially Legolas."

Firlowen pursed his lips. "I do believe Legolas is the least person you should be worried about."

* * *

Tauriel ran through the icy ruins, almost in panic, searching for the dwarves. If Azog, her brother, was going to kill them, she was going to stop him. Hopefully, he would stop if he saw his own sister. Maybe that cruel beast would be tamed.

Any orcs that crossed her path were swiftly defeated. In any moment of silence, she shouted out the names of the dwarves. "FILI! KILI! DWALIN! THORIN!"

Tauriel's breath caught when a hobbit slunk up to her. "Bilbo?"

The halfling nodded, panting. "If you're looking for the dwarves, they're all dead. Except Thorin. He's somewhere, oh, somewhere." Bilbo turned in a circle, lost and dazed.

Tauriel frowned. "Who killed them?"

Bilbo blinked. "Ah, um, the Pale Orc. Azog was the name."

The elleth stepped back, her arms clutching her stomach. Her brother had killed the dwarves! Her _brother_!

"U-um, are you alright?"

Tauriel gasped. "I-I'm fine. Thank you. Be safe." She turned and rounded a corner, collapsing onto a wall and trying to control her breathing.

What was she thinking? That orc would kill her as quickly as a fly. There would be no compassion.

The elleth came back. "Bilbo?"

The hobbit was lying limp against some stones, blood dribbling down his head. Tauriel gasped, but quickly twirled her knives as a new rush of goblins swarmed into sight.

 _Bolg's force_ , she thought. _There's no way we're going to win this._

Because as hard as she fought, two knives were not enough against such a massive number of goblins. She was going to lose.

* * *

Falluen was locked in battle with Bolg, spawn of Azog the Defiler. And he wasn't really doing anything. It was a stalemate, one he hoped he could battle out. One he _knew_ he would win if he had the help of, oh, maybe Legolas. But the Sinda was majestically on top of a tower, saving the day as he heroically slayed orcs from afar. Show off.

Falluen sucked in a breath as his leg was slashed. Again. And his face was cut. Again. The frustrating part was that no matter how many times he stabbed his sword and spear into the orc, no great damage seemed to be done. And the ellon himself was losing more blood by the minute.

 _Please, Legolas, run out of arrows already and help me._

To his surprise, as he risked a glance, Falluen saw Legolas throw his bow down in frustration. Then jump from the tower in a free fall.

Falluen sighed, twirling underneath a blow and kicking at nowhere in particular. The Sinda and his crazy stunts.

But he quickly found out that Legolas was _not_ headed towards him. He was riding a troll like it was his horse, and soon disappeared out of Falluen's side as he rode behind a cliff.

The ellon swore, and Bolg growled something probably very similar. He was losing, badly, and he needed help.

"Stupid orc!"

Bolg glared at him, and lunged forward. Falluen stepped to the side, deflected a blow, and leaped onto the orc's shoulders. Bolg staggered back, but threw the ellon off. Falluen skidded on the ice, and picked himself up slowly, but he was winded and injured.

 _Stupid me._

Bolg grinned, and advanced wickedly, brandishing his spear. Falluen's was broken, and his sword was bent at a horrible angle. Probably looking very similar to his left elbow.

The ellon stood on weak legs, but he knew one more strike, and he would be dead. Falluen raised his sword, ready for a last blow as Bolg yelled and rushed forward. He never yelled again.

Falluen saw the sharp tip of an arrow pummel to the front of the orc's head, and Bolg fell forward with a final groan. Gilrael stood triumphantly a short distance off, bow in hand as the wind swept through her hair. For a moment they held a victorious gaze. And the next moment the ellon was finally able to yell from the pain of his wounds.

* * *

"Legolas, we have to find him," Tauriel panted. The Sinda had swept in and helped to slay the remaining goblins, but what had really helped was when the _Great Eagles_ had swept in and slayed everything else.

The prince nodded. "I saved Thorin's life a while back. I have a fair idea of where your…brother might be."

Tauriel pursed her lips. "Fighting…with Thorin…to the death."

"We must hurry," Legolas agreed.

And hurry they did. But the Sinda did not know the icy hilltop as well as he would have liked to, and by the time they reached the wide plain of frozen water, they were too late.

"No…"

Tauriel stumbled forward, blinking back tears while Legolas watched from a considerate distance. For there, before her, lying limp on the ground was a bloody Thorin. And some distance away was the large form of Azog the Pale Orc, not moving.

The elleth skidded to a stop, heaving breaths hard to draw, and wiping tears to clear her blurry vision. But what she saw at the next moment just brought more tears.

Azog the Defiler was no more. What remained was a gravely injured and cut up ellon, laying on his back with an arm draped over his stomach. His face, once fair, was caked in scrapes and blood, and his hair, once thick and dark, splayed out behind him, mottled in ice. Still, he had a sense of royalty in his presence, even though on the brink of death.

"Valluen," Tauriel breathed as she knelt by his side. He stirred, though ever slightly, and his beautiful blue eyes opened. An exact imitation of Legolas', not longer cruel and hardened, but noble and kind. The eyes of an Eldar.

Valluen coughed, and blood drizzled out of his mouth. "T-Tauriel, please forgive me." His breathing was labored, and it was clear each breath he drew was pained.

Tauriel sniffed back her tears, stroking his hair. She swallowed hard. "Of course I do."

"You don't understand!" His voice was hoarse, and he struggled to speak. "I've spent my whole life as Azog, a cruel orc. Do you have ay idea what I've done?"

"Valluen-"

"I've corrupted innocent souls! I've murdered countless beings! I've ripped families apart!" He was near tears. "I would have died of my guilt centuries ago, if not for the cursed body of an elf keeping me from it."

Valluen heaved a breath. "I await my death with a hope that somehow all the pain and guilt will be gone."

"T-the only part that matters is that you repent now."

"I do. Oh, how much I do!" he wailed. "Please, Tauriel, t-tell Gilrael, tell her to forgive me. Tell her she was right, that she didn't deserve what I made her endure."

Tauriel pursed her lips. "I…will."

Valluen relaxed, gazing up at her with a smile. "I love you, Tauriel. Never think otherwise. I risked my life, risk being captured, to save you. So did Ada."

"Valluen?" Tauriel anxiously cried as he coughed out blood again.

"F-find Naneth. S-she's …"

"She's _what_?"

"She's still in Middle Earth."

Tauriel's heart nearly stopped in shock. "W-what do you mean?"

But that was the last thing Valluen, son of Luinil, brother of Thranduil, King of the Woodland Realm, ever said.

"NO!" The elleth's tears flowed freely as she buried her head in her brother's lifeless chest. "Why, why, why! I never _knew_ you! How could you die _now_?!"

She didn't know how long it was in utter grief until a hand cupped her shoulder comfortingly. To her, it may have been years or minutes until a voice pierced through her pain.

"Who is that?"

Tauriel didn't want to look up. She didn't want to move. She wanted to curl up and disappear, to a world where only she and Valluen existed, where they could talk and understand each other fully. But she knew reality would be for Gilrael to read those papers in the trunk, and she knew nothing would be helped if she mourned forever. Her fiery spirit that had gotten her in trouble so many times now saved her life. For certainly she would have faded otherwise.

The elleth slowly lifted her hand and struggled to her feet as Legolas helped her. She wiped her face and set her face like stone.

"That is Valluen, my brother."


	16. Chapter 15: The Final Story

Everything Tauriel knew about her brother was explained to everyone who needed to know. The only thing that needed to be done was for Gilrael to read those papers.

It was a trivial matter in getting them to her, and one afternoon a few weeks after the battle, everyone was healed and everything was settled enough to have a discussion.

As Gilrael spread the sheets in front of her, she pursed her lips in anticipation. What would they say? What would they say about _her_?

Everyone watched the lieutenant with eager eyes. Thranduil, Legolas, Falluen, even Firlowen and Arkanil were there. The general, Tauriel's father's best friend, had raised Tauriel in the palace when Legolas brought her home.

Gilrael took a deep breath. "I will do my best to translate, though it's put together in a very difficult way to put into Sindarin. Here, however, it is.

" 'My story starts in the war against Gundabad. You may know that Eryn Lasgalen was then very strong and powerful, perhaps the most prosperous of the three elven kingdoms. But Gundabad was a mighty enemy, difficult to defeat. I fought in that war, though I am sworn to secrecy why I disobeyed my father's orders to stay at home, for I was only a young ellon, barely older than an elfling. Eventually, the Gundabad force was driven from our lands, where they slowly dwindled. But not without great cost. The Queen, Serilna, had gone missing, and was thought to be dead. Legolas was gravely injured. My father, the king's brother, was also dead. And, though it was not true, I was thought to be dead.

" 'But that is not the whole story. During the war, my father, Luinil, was a major force. It was in the enemy's interests to get rid of him. They wanted to take his children to bait him into a trap. But Luinil foresaw their plans, and hid away my sister and me into a cave in the western plains. He rarely visited us, for fear of being followed, and entrusted my baby sister into my care.

" 'One day, however, I sensed we were being watched. I left Tauriel, took my weapons, and began to hunt all orcs in the surrounding area. Inevitably, though, I was found and captured. As far as I knew, they had no idea Tauriel existed, and I wanted it to stay that way. They took me to Gundabad, and-'"

Gilrael felt sick with remembrance of her own pain and suffering. Tauriel frowned, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Gilrael? Are you alright?"

Her voice was hoarse. "I…will not read that part. J-just know that he was… tormented greatly, and suffered much."

Legolas stood and sat next to her, wrapping an arm behind her. "The past is gone, Gilrael. It is no more. Skip."

The elleth nodded numbly, and swallowed before continuing. " 'After years and years, the corruption was complete. I became orc-like in mind and body, serving my master, Sauron, the Dark Lord. I became Azog, and grew to be the fear of the lands.'"

Gilrael suddenly frowned and read quickly and intently.

"Gilrael was brought into the halls of Mordor, the most beautiful, sweetest, bravest soul that ever walked Middle Earth. She fought Sauron's wiles and charms longer than I ever could, especially since she was so young, but inevitably, even the strongest have to give in when he resorted to torture and black power.'"

Gilrael's breath quickened, and Tauriel watched with worry. "Gilrael?"

"How could he know? How could that BEAST talk like this?!"

Falluen frowned. "What do you mean?"

Legolas rubbed her arm. "What did he do to you, Gilrael? Gilrael?"

Firlowen widened his eyes. "What's wrong with her?!

The king sat up straight. "Anguish. Oh, Eru, such deep pain!"

Gilrael's insides cut with a sharp agony, a reminder of what she once felt every single moment of the day after…the event. She had spent centuries covering it up, shielding it, but now the wound poured out fresh sorrow and grief.

She bent forward, clutching her stomach as she choked. Legolas immediately knelt on the ground beneath her.

"Gilrael, Gilrael, you must stop! You're tearing yourself apart!"

"I-I'm already torn," she hoarsely whispered. Then, rather to the Sinda's horror, she yanked away from him and slid closer to Tauriel.

"Gilrael?"

"Please don't touch me," she whispered.

Legolas frowned in hurt, but he said nothing. How hard it was to continue with those eyes staring mournfully at her! But she had endured harder things in her life, and braved on the rest of the story.

" 'But alas, it grew apparent that the corruption was not quite complete. On some nights, I would transform back into Valluen, and I would be so sickened and guilt-stricken by my crimes that those times were total torture. However, as time went on, these transformations became more and more frequent. Not only at night but in the day as well. It was clear my corruption was melting off. But not in time.

" 'During these transformation, I never knew how long they would last, but I hastened to write this down and to make sure Tauriel was safe. When I found she was in the Woodland Realm, I was satisfied that she was no longer in danger and spent my transformations in agony.

" 'However, the time came when I discovered Sauron's plans. It was vague, but it was complete enough for me to do my best, though rather far-fetched plan, to stop him. I think you know the rest.

" 'Please, Gilrael, if you're reading this, I felt almost as much pain as you did after I gave that order. I know no apology of mine will ever heal what I caused to you, but I am deeply sorry nonetheless. I regret that my life even existed, and I await my death with gladness, the time when I can rid the world of me.'"

"But surely we know he did _some_ good," Falluen pointed out. "He set Tauriel and Legolas on the trail to warn Thorin about the second attack."

"But not enough for what he's done," growled Gilrael through grit teeth.

Thranduil adjusted his robes. "Well, since your clearly in no position to tell us, we need to discuss what the future is going to be like. It's only going to get worse."

"Nothing will be worse than what I've been through," Gilrael muttered.

Thranduil nodded slowly. "So, anyone have anything to say?"

Tauriel took a deep breath, looking at Gilrael worriedly. "I'll make this short. I know, Thranduil, that according to law, I am supposed to be banished. I disobeyed your orders on several occasions, and I've endangered the kingdom. I'm not asking to be banished, I'm simply am stating what needs to be done. So yes, I need to…leave. Leave the palace. I need to make up for what my brother did. Bring back honor to our family. Nothing you say is going to change my mind. I will return only when I have fulfilled my goal."

Firlowen raised an eyebrow. "That was short? Wonder what long would be."

Tauriel shot him a look, but Gilrael suddenly choked and fled out of the room. Legolas stood, but Falluen shook his head.

"I wouldn't, mellon. She needs to be…alone."

"She's been alone for ages and look where that got her!" The Sinda angrily declared. "Why won't she let me help?"

"The ways of elleths are often as unsearchable as the sea," Thranduil wisely observed. "She'll come to you when she's ready."

Legolas glared at him. "Right, like in the Fifth Age."

He turned and ran out of the room as well, slamming the door behind him.

Falluen pursed his lips. "Oookay."

Arkanil turned to Tauriel, speaking for the first time. "Are you sure about this? You've never lived outside the palace before. You'll have to fight your own battles, find your own places of shelter, and navigate on your own. Are you ready?"

The elleth grit her teeth. "It can't be that hard. Of course I'm ready. Ready now as I'll ever be if I continue to live here."

"Which, of course, you can't," Thranduil pointed out. "As you have so keenly remarked, the law states that you must be banished. I am content to allow you to leave on your own, especially with such a noble purpose."

Tauriel nodded, and stood. "Well, I suppose this is farewell for a while."

Arkanil watched with sad eyes. "Be careful, daughter. The world is a dangerous place."

Falluen and Firlowen nodded solemnly. "Until we meet again."

Tauriel smiled slightly, and bowed to Thranduil before swiftly leaving the room.

Yes, she was apprehensive. She had no idea how to live in the wilderness. But she would figure it out. The only thing left to do was to say good-bye to the two elves she loved most, both of whom were in an irritable spirit.

She couldn't tell, fortunately, with Legolas, and he hugged her good-bye with his usual cheer.

"Remember which mushrooms are poisonous and which are not. Always check the very back of every cave to make sure it's empty. And when making a fire, make sure-"

Tauriel smiled. "I'll be careful, Legolas. Thank you for everything."

He nodded. "I'll miss you."

She pursed her lips. "I'll miss you too."

Gilrael, however, was much less inviting. "You'll be fine, Tauriel, now don't waste another second!" she hollered from her room.

The younger elleth blinked. "Um, have any tips? Where my mother might be?"

"Who knows? But stay away from the Dead Marshes. They're deadly."

And that was all Gilrael attempted to say.

Tauriel bit her lip, but hurried to pack a few things and went to the stables. Imagine her surprise when her horse, Hithilda, was all ready to go.

"Gilrael!"

The elleth stood stroking the mane of Tauriel's horse, but she turned to her.

"I didn't expect you here!"

"Well, you didn't really expect _me_ to send you off when you know next to nothing about surviving on your own, did you?" Gilrael's eyes twinkled, and she nodded to a knapsack on the mare.

"You have everything you need in there."

Tauriel smiled. "I don't deserve you."

Gilrael pulled out a thick book from the bag. "Here, you will need this. There's information about everything you need to know, things about Men and Dwarves and Orcs. There's maps on the front and back flap, and a star map somewhere in here in case you get lost. Which is highly likely."

Tauriel nodded. "What are all the empty pages at the back for?"

"For keeping records of your journey. You'll appreciate them later."

The elleth hugged her friend. "I don't know how to thank you."

Gilrael raised an eyebrow. "All the thanks will be enough if you follow what I'm telling you explicitly. Understand?"

Tauriel nodded.

Gilrael crossed her arms. "You'll start with wearing your hood at all times, and making sure no one recognizes you. Good, you didn't wear your royal garments. Your name will not be Tauriel anymore. It'll be-"

"Luiniel," she promptly declared. "Daughter of Luinil."

Gilrael shrugged. "That will work. You must be cautious at all times. No one is to be trusted on the road, whether Elf, Man, or Dwarf. I will advise you to start looking for your mother in the western plains, between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood, and end up in Lorien, perhaps. Search all of it, and leave no cliff or cave untraced. Understand?"

Tauriel nodded vigorously. "Your help is much appreciated."

Gilrael smiled, then suddenly frowned. "Oh, and one more thing. If you ever meet a certain male elf on the road, stay as far away from him as possible. Do not speak to him or trust him."

Tauriel frowned as well. "What does he look like?"

Gilrael pursed her lips. "You'll know who he is by his presence, but he has dark hair and eyes like burning coals. Usually wears a shimmering black cloak and an orange stone ring with a silver band. He goes by Roquen."

"Horse Master?"

Gilrael shook her head. "And master of other things as well. Beware him."

"Who is he?"

The elleth stared ahead. "An old friend turned toward the dark side. He refused to join me when I became good. Now he serves as Sauron's most loyal and valuable servant."

Tauriel nodded. "I'll be careful." She mounted her horse as Gilrael smiled sadly.

"Farewell, Gilrael! I may never see you again."

The warrior pursed her lips. "Oh, I think we'll meet again sooner than you think." And she disappeared back into the palace.

Tauriel frowned, but urged Hithilda forward.

"Noro lim, Hithilda. Noro lim."

No matter how hard the road may be, she would bring honour back to her family, and find her mother.

That was the last time she saw the Woodland Realm in its current, peaceful state.

 **A/N: Whew! 2nd installment of The Redeemed One Trilogy: done! That was quite challenging, but I made it! Hope you liked it. I would very much appreciate a review on your thoughts! :)**

 **Coming up soon!**

 **Third book of The Redeemed One Trilogy: _A Tale of Four Elleths_. This will tell the story of Middle Earth during the War of the Ring, with new characters that I'm _very_ excited about. Here's the summary:**

 **"A captive who escaped from Mordor, still struggling after a millennia to overcome her corrupted ways. An exile, cut in grief while mourning the death of her brother. A broken-hearted, whose only love left her for another. And one under disguise among cities of Men, seeking to find the family she lost, with the Ring she gained. Four elleths, unknown to each another, but all connected by one ellon, and one Ring…"**

 **Thank you for reading, as always, and may Iluvatar bless your day!**

 **Elluviel**


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